HONOLULU (AP) – The U.S. National Weather Service issued a snowstorm warning for the mountains on the Big Island of Hawaii on Saturday, saying wind gusts of more than 160 kilometers per hour (100 miles) were possible. and 30.4 centimeters (12 inches) or more of snow.
The warning will remain in effect until Sunday morning for the Big Island peaks and said that “travel should be restricted to emergencies only” and that those who must travel must have a winter survival kit.
Blizzard warnings for Hawaii are unusual, but not unrelated. The Big Island has mountain peaks that reach almost 4,200 meters high (14,000 feet). CNN reported that the last snowstorm warning issued by the weather service for Hawaii was more than three and a half years ago.
The threat of snow in Hawaii comes as places in the Rocky Mountains most accustomed to winter weather are close to breaking records for snow-free days. Denver’s hottest temperature on Wednesday reached 73 degrees Fahrenheit (23 degrees Celsius), tying the 1973 record.
