HONOLULU — Recently, Hawaii’s highest peak, Mauna Kea, experienced a light snowfall, transforming its summit into a picturesque winter scene. The Big Island’s mountaintop received approximately 2 inches (5 centimeters) of fresh snow.

Although Hawaii is typically associated with its sunny environment, stunning beaches, and lush rainforests, snowfall at elevated regions, like Mauna Kea, is not an uncommon occurrence during the wet winter months.

Mauna Kea stands at a staggering height of 13,803 feet (4,207 meters) above sea level, resulting in year-round temperatures that can dip below freezing. This elevation creates conditions favorable for snowfall at any time of the year.

This week, a weather disturbance at high altitudes contributed to a cooling trend, bringing moisture from the east across the islands from Sunday to Monday, as explained by a senior weather specialist in Honolulu.

The combination of cold temperatures and incoming moisture resulted in snow when temperatures fell below freezing, as noted by the meteorologist.

Footage from webcams attached to the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope revealed a snow-covered landscape shortly after daybreak on Monday, but by Wednesday, the snow had melted away.

Mauna Kea’s summit is uninhabited, but it holds significant cultural importance for many Native Hawaiians. Ancient tales narrate that Mauna Kea is regarded as the first-born son of the sky father and earth mother.

Additionally, the summit’s minimal light pollution and arid conditions make it an exceptional location for stargazing. Numerous observatories have been established atop the mountain, leading to major breakthroughs in astronomy, including Nobel Prize-winning research and some of the earliest images of exoplanets.