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The Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station.
COURTESY CMS RANGERS
The isolated storm left roads coated with ice.
COURTESY CMS RANGERS
The mid-section of Mauna Kea was hammered, while the mountain’s summit remained calm.
There was an unusual spate of snow and hail at Halepohaku, the mid-level section of Mauna Kea, over the weekend, according to Maunakea Rangers from the University of Hawaii at Hilo.
The Center for Maunakea Stewardship said an isolated thunderstorm that dumped snow and quarter-inch-sized hail over the 9,000-foot mid-level section of the mountain on Saturday.
According to Mauna Kea Weather Center forecasters, it is rare for widespread snow to reach the mid-level area of the mountain but for the summit to remain bare. The Halepohaku area includes the visitor information station, which is currently closed.
No damage or injuries were reported on Saturday, but the rangers wanted to remind visitors that dangerous wintry weather can break out with little warning at any time.
On Sunday morning, the temporary research camera at Moku‘aweoweo, the summit caldera of Mauna Loa, captured images of snow blanketing the area. Today, the snow appears to have mostly melted.
The National Weather Service confirmed it did not issue any winter weather advisories over the weekend.
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