HONOLULU (AP) — Snow fell on Hawaii’s tallest peak this week, briefly turning the mountaintop right into a winter wonderland. The summit space of Mauna Kea on the Large Island bought about 2 inches (5 centimeters) of white powder.

Hawaii is healthier recognized for its heat climate, seashores and rainforests. Nevertheless it’s commonplace for snow to fall on the greater elevations on Mauna Kea throughout the wetter, winter months.

The summit is so excessive — it sits 13,803 ft (4,207 meters) above sea stage — that temperatures there can drop beneath freezing year-round, creating the potential for snow throughout any month.

This week, an higher stage disturbance introduced colder temperatures as moisture got here in from the east and moved over the islands Sunday by Monday, stated Maureen Ballard, a senior meteorologist with the Nationwide Climate Service in Honolulu.

“Mixture of chilly temperatures and moisture equals snow when it’s beneath freezing,” Ballard stated.

Webcams mounted on the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope confirmed the bottom lined in white shortly after dawn on Monday. Two days later, the cameras confirmed the snow was gone.

No one lives on Mauna Kea’s summit, which is sacred to many Native Hawaiians. Centuries-old tales say Mauna Kea is the first-born son of the sky father and earth mom.

The restricted gentle air pollution and dry environment on the mountain prime additionally make it one of many world’s greatest locations to watch the night time sky. Astronomers have constructed a couple of dozen telescopes on the summit, resulting in Nobel Prize-winning discoveries and a few of the first photographs of planets outdoors our photo voltaic system.