Image from the Maunakea Visitor Information Station Facebook page
Image from the Maunakea Visitor Information Station Facebook page
Mother Nature is definitely being tricky with the weather today at the summit of Mauna Kea, but with precautions in place such as the access road being closed, many Big Islanders are finding the scenery to be more of a treat just in time for Halloween.

"Winter is here," proclaimed the Maunakea Visitor Information Station in an 8:36 a.m. post on its Facebook page Sunday sharing several webcam images from telescopes and observatories on the volcanic mountain's summit showing it lightly blanketed with snow.

One of the photos also showed what was either fog and/or snow continuing to fall or blow in the wind.

The post added that the summit access road was closed because of ice and hazardous driving conditions. The road was still closed as of 12:30 p.m.




The summits of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa are under a winter weather advisory through 6 a.m. Monday.

The National Weather Service forecast office in Honolulu says deep moisture moving over the state is bringing with it the potential for snow, which could be heavy at times, through tonight atop both mountains.

Periods of snow, low visibility and slick roads, with snow accumulations of up to 6 inches are possible.


The temperature at the summit was just above freezing at a balmy 35 degrees as of 12:37 p.m., according to the Center for Maunakea Stewardship Maunakea Weather Center, and only a few small patches of snow lingered.