Hawaii’s Big Island is known for many things — its rich culture, active volcanoes, black sand beaches, green rainforests, and of course year-round warm, humid, weather. This year, the sunny paradise can add snow to this impressive list. Since early December, almost three feet of snow has blanketed the over 13,000-feet high volcano peaks of the Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, and more is expected.
Local meteorologists say that though a rare sight now, snowcaps were once a fixture on these peaks. However, over the years, the increasingly warm weather has caused the ice caps to shrink. Those hoping for a White Christmas on the beach are in for a disappointment. That’s because even during the coldest of winters the lower altitudes only experience light ice, that melts almost instantly in the balmy weather.
Resources: Smithsonianmag.com, csmonitor.com
