Snow in Hawaii? Winter Weather Advisory in Effect for the Big Island

A separate forecast published by the Mauna Kea Observatories mentioned that if a deep convection develops in the area, moderate to heavy snowfall is possible on Mauna Kea’s summit.

Hawaii is mostly known for sunny beaches and tropical weather. But its upper reaches aren’t strangers to the occasional winter storm. A local forecaster told USA Today this week that the peaks of the Big Island see snowfall between five and eight times a year. Usually, that snow arrives during the winter.

The prospect of Hawaiian snow makes more sense when you consider the verticality of the state's mountains. Mauna Kea—a volcano and the tallest geographic feature in the state—stands at 13,803 feet, which is far higher than the peaks of many ski resorts throughout the lower 48.

But that volcano isn’t home to Hawaii’s largest 24-hour snowfall on record—the title goes instead to the 10,023 foot Haleakalā where, according to NOAA, six and a half inches of snowfall fell in one day in 1936. Larger 24-hour totals may have occurred but not been recorded at Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, though.

At Mauna Kea, skiing is sometimes a possibility when the weather cooperates, particularly between late January and March. While attempts to ski the volcano have been met with controversy in the past, at least one group has schussed down Mauna Kea this year.

Skiing in Hawaii does sound like a novelty, but you’d probably be better off spending a visit to the Big Island participating in the real sport of choice, surfing. The swells are certainly more consistent than the odd Hawaiian snowstorm.