Blizzard in Hawaii? Rare warning isn’t really that surprising, experts say. Here’s why
Most know Hawaii for its sunny weather and pristine beaches, but fewer people, particularly those who live in the island chain, know it snows there, too.
That’s why meteorologists and residents alike weren’t surprised when the National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning for the state on Friday, Dec. 3, through the weekend.
The rest of the world, however, thought it was the end times.
Experts predicted 12 or more inches of snow and wind gusts over 100 miles per hour, not on Hawaii’s beaches or coastal towns, but rather on the peaks of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea that soar up to about 14,000 feet above sea level.
“Bear in mind, there is no one who lives up there,” Maureen Ballard, a Weather Service meteorologist in Honolulu, told The New York Times. “We do get snow there pretty much every year.”
Although mountain snow isn’t rare in the state, the blizzard warning is to a degree.
According to Iowa State University data, it had been about 3.5 years since the National Weather Service issued its last blizzard warning in Hawaii.
“That may seem odd for what many of you consider a tropical paradise, but Hawaii is probably the smallest area of Earth that has such a variety of concentrated climate zones,” Heather Tesch, a Weather Channel meteorologist, wrote on Twitter.
What caused the blizzard warning in Hawaii?
A kind of seasonal cyclone called a Kona Low is to blame for the chilly, stormy conditions that hit Hawaii over the weekend and will extend into this week.
This storm usually forms in the winter and is famous for bringing heavy rainfall to the southern and western portions of the islands, according to AccuWeather. For the majority of the year, winds travel east-northeast bound.
“The common trade winds usually cause more rainfall on the northern and eastern side of the islands, while the western and southern portions are drier, while the prevailing winds of a Kona Low can bring flooding rainfall to the western and southern portions of islands,” AccuWeather senior meteorologist Bob Smerbeck said.
Throw moisture into the mix and “that’s where you have concerns about blizzard conditions” up on the summits and flooding risks for other regions, Tesch wrote on Twitter.
What Hawaii can expect this week
The National Weather Service issued an alert Monday, Dec. 6, warning of “widespread heavy rainfall … capable of producing catastrophic flooding, and strong gusty southerly winds through Wednesday.”
Total rainfall will be between 10 and 15 inches, with some isolated areas reaching 20 to 25 inches.
The agency also warns of “dangerous driving conditions due to near zero visibility,” as well as “numerous landslides in areas with steep terrain.”
This story was originally published December 6, 2021 at 2:18 PM with the headline "Blizzard in Hawaii? Rare warning isn’t really that surprising, experts say. Here’s why."
