Normal tradewind weather was expected to be returning today and Wednesday after some record rainfall on Maui and spring snow on Mauna Kea, the National Weather Service said.
Roads to Mauna Kea were closed Sunday and part of Monday after several inches of snow fell.
“It’s unusual but not unprecedented,” said National Weather Service lead forecaster Derek Wroe. “It can snow on the summit any month of the year.”
Steven Businger, principal investigator for the Mauna Kea Weather Center, said the low temperatures over the weekend were caused by a “Kona low,” a subtropical cyclone that occurs during the cool season in the north-central Pacific Ocean.
“It’s a very unusual weather pattern for this time of year,” Businger said.
Maui experienced record rainfall in some areas Saturday and Sunday, weather official said.
Repair crews on Maui worked overnight and were expected to continue today to reopen South Kihei Road from Ohukai Road to Kaonoulu Street, which was closed because of flooding.
Landslides occurred Sunday along Kahikili Highway near mile marker 11 on Maui, and a tree fell on a truck driven by a man who was uninjured. The truck required towing.
The storm also caused a sinkhole on Maui along Piilani Highway near Kalepa Point on Saturday. County workers filled it and reopened the road.
Maui County officials closed the Central Maui Landfill at noon Monday to repair flood damage.
The landfill was expected to reopen today.
The Mauna Kea Weather Center 0n Monday morning said the road to the summit was closed from the Visitor Information Station at the 9,200-foot level due to ice and snow.
But a little before 3 p.m. Monday, the weather center announced that after performing remedial work and grading, the summit access road had been reopened to the public.
Vehicular access above the Halepohaku area was by four-wheel drive only, Mauna Kea rangers said.
