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Snow in Hawaii? Officials Issue Winter Weather Advisory

Originally posted on Powder | By Ian Greenwood | Last updated Nov 19, 2025 2:24 PM ET

Are you one of the many skiers out West worried about the slow-going start to the 2025-26 season? No problem. Just book a flight to Hawaii, where a few inches of snow just fell in the mountains.

The storm, which prompted a National Weather Service winter weather advisory, hit Mauna Kea, a dormant shield volcano and Hawaii’s highest point at 13,796 feet above sea level.

The advisory remains in effect today, November 19. Forecasters predict that another inch of snow could fall on the Big Island’s summits, mixed with freezing rain.

“Be prepared for slippery roads and limited visibilities and use caution while driving,” the NWS warned.

It’s a sharp contrast with the forecast for Honolulu, where, today, the NWS calls for a high of 82 degrees.

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How Often Does It Snow in Hawaii?

Hawaii’s best known for sandy beaches and surfing. It might sound bizarre, then, that the NWS is calling for snow. But wintry conditions aren’t actually that unusual in Hawaii at higher altitudes.

NWS forecaster Tom Birchard told USA TODAY earlier this year that the state’s summits see snow between five and eight times annually.

According to the NWS, Hawaii’s climate ranges from tropical to sub-arctic, thanks to its peaks that top out near 14,000 feet (for reference, that's about the same height as Washington’s Mt. Rainier, the towering snow-clad summit). Mauna Kea’s also seen surprisingly frigid temperatures. In 1979, the mercury plummeted to 12 degrees at the observatory there, setting a new record.

Mauna Kea isn’t the home of the state’s snowfall record, though. Instead, that honor goes to the 10,023-foot Haleakalā, where, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information, six and a half inches of snowfall fell in one day in 1936. Haleakalā is also home to the five-inch snow depth record, set in 1938.

Should you actually plan a ski trip to Hawaii, then? It’s been done before, but probably not. Hawaii’s a surf mecca for a reason. Western skiers could instead look to the Northeast, where, at some resorts, the snow is piling up and the early-season conditions are shaping up quite nicely.

This article first appeared on Powder and was syndicated with permission.

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