Winter weather advisory issued for Big Island summits

Snow has arrived on the slopes of Maunakea and a winter weather advisory is in place for Big Island summits till 6 a.m. Thursday.

Snow accumulations up to 5 inches and gusty southwest winds are expected, according to the National Weather Service in Honolulu. Webcam footage at observatories shows snowy roads and ice at the summit this morning.

The Maunakea access road is closed to the public at the Visitor Information Station at an elevation of 9,200 feet due to snowy conditions and the advisory. Rangers will check the road and weather conditions and will reopen the road when the conditions are safe.

According to the Center for Maunakea Stewardship, extensive fog, ice, thick clouds and flurries will continue to plague the summit throughout the night.

Summit temperatures will be near 33 degrees this afternoon and 28 degrees for the night. Southwest winds of 30-45 mph are expected today, switching to a more southerly direction and easing to 15-30 mph for the night.

While there is a possibility for a brief drying of the air mass this afternoon, deeper more widespread moisture and instability are expected to pour into the area early this evening and will contribute to extensive fog, ice and light/moderate snow for at least 2 nights and possibly into Friday night.

Click here for updated conditions on the mauna.