If you ’re in the modest 48 looking for Charles Percy Snow , may I suggest a trip to Hawaii ? While a practiced chunk of the U.S. stomach under asnow - killing heat covered stadium , Hawaii is in for a substantial - deal blizzard .
The National Weather Service write out rarified snowstorm monition for the highlands of the Big Island on Friday as a powerful tempest plows into the island chain of mountains . The forecast would be gnarly even if it were n’t in the tropics . But in the paradise that is the Big Island , it ’s downright unbelievable .
“ locomotion could be very difficult to insufferable , ” the NWS Honolulu place monish . “ Blowing Charles Percy Snow will importantly slim visibility at time , with period of zero profile . ”
Snow on the summit of Mauna Loa on 2 February 2025.Gif: USGS
The high reaches of the Big Island could see “ 12 inch or more ” according to the agency , and confidential information will gust more than 100 miles per hour ( 160 kph ) , stats that would put even the most frightening nor’easter to ignominy . The forecast for the summit of Mauna Loa , the highest point in Hawaii , calls for wind gusts to strive an stupefying 160 miles per hour ( 258 kph ) . For mention , family 5 hurricane winds are 157 mph ( 252 km/h ) or higher . malarkey tingle values at the summit will spend to minus-3 degrees Fahrenheit ( minus-19 degrees Celsius ) . The summit is n’t accessible by car , but the pass that hack through the heart of the Big Island will still be plenty dangerous .
“ If you must travel , have a winter endurance kit with you , ” the NWS warn in spoken language that , again , is for Hawaiians . ( If you do n’t eff what ’s in one , here ’s ahandy guidefrom our pals at Lifehacker . )
Webcam imaging from the top of Mauna Loa shows snowfall already on the ground . Volcanoes National Parkclosed summit accessto Mauna Loa until at least Wednesday , signal that the trail that head there are likely going to be impassable for quite some time . In forgetful , it ’s about to get real .
While the intensity of the prognosis and snow admonition linguistic process are striking , so , too , are the NWS alarm in stead for humbled elevations . The Big Island along with the neighboring islands that make up Hawaii stretching to the northwestern United States are under a slew of high idle words , breakers , gale , and flood warning and watches . The NWS is calling for “ significant flooding ” and risk of exposure of landslides on every one of the Hawaiian islands , underscoring how widespread and vigorous the system of rules is . High surf advisories are also in shoes with waves expected to reach as high as 35 feet ( 11 metre ) that will make live anywhere near the beach a dangerous proffer as well , peculiarly north - facing shorelines . Some roadstead are already closing on the Big Island . essentially , this is stay - put atmospheric condition you do n’t want to mess with .
The storm system that will fetch all this wild conditions is what ’s cognise as a “ Kona low . ” Here ’s a overnice partitioning fromCapital Weather Gangof what fix a Kona low different from an fair storm organization in the area :
prevail winds over the islands are unremarkably out of the east and northeast , but Kona Sir David Alexander Cecil Low draw in winds from the southwestward , tap abundant wet .
This finicky Kona depression is predicted to be slow - propel , shape west of Kauai over the weekend and linger into early next calendar week .
Snowfall is n’t unheard of on the Big Island ’s summits , which admit Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea . Both volcanoes reach more than 13,000 feet ( 3,960 metre ) above the Pacific beach that ring the island . Havingvisited Mauna Loa Observatory , locate on the volcano ’s flanks , I can substantiate that it gets nippy . It was puffy crown weather even on the average November sidereal day I was there in 2019 . Just this January , C. P. Snow fall on Mauna Kea .
But the tempest organisation that will roar over the island chain this weekend is on another level . patently heed all warnings and road closures if you live there . And if you ’re not there , savour the scene from afar . Because right now , the mainland U.S. is in dire straits when it comes to snow . Just 6 % of the low 48 has snow on the ground as of Friday . batch towns in Colorado are depart to freak out with apaltry snowpack to start ski time of year .
Where hurry has fallen , it ’s failed to do so in wintry form ; the Pacific Northwest has beenhammered by a series of storms(ironically , those stormstapped moisture from as far away Hawaii ) , but they arrived with a blast of warm aura . That means that instead of Baron Snow of Leicester , gamy elevations saw rain — and lots of it . Given the amount of Baron Snow of Leicester that ’s about to fall in Hawaii , it sound like the island could have some to part with , though . Now if only we could figure out how to get it to places that actually need it …
Update , 12/4/21 , 11:56 a.m. ET : This Charles William Post has been updated with the late prognosis information and imagination .
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