The Pacific island of Hawaii is known for its warm tropical climate. However, this may change this winter: weather experts are expecting violent snowstorms.
Honolulu – The weather in the USA is getting icy in places: In two states, thunderstorms threaten with blizzards. On the one hand, this affects Alaska – there, in the next few days and weeks, such strong snowstorms are brewing that it will hardly be possible to get from A to B. Especially in the winter months, however, such extreme weather conditions with a lot of snow are common in Alaska. The weather warning, on the other hand, is unusual for the other affected state: There is also a threat of snowstorms known as “blizzards” in Hawaii.
The popular holiday island usually has a warm, tropical climate with temperatures around 30 degrees. Even in the coldest month of February, the maximum temperatures on the Pacific island are still up to 26 degrees – values below 18 degrees are rarely recorded. This does not apply to the higher regions, in particular the Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa mountains. At 4205 meters, Manua Kea is the highest mountain in Hawaii, followed by Mauna Loa, an active volcano, at 4170 meters.
Snowstorm in Hawaii: wind speed over 250 km / h
The rainy season in Hawaii is from October to April, so snow falls on the peaks of the two mountains, especially in the period between November and March, when the temperatures at high altitudes regularly drop below freezing point. The Manua Loa had to be closed on Tuesday (December 2nd, 2021) due to strong wind and snowfall. The Manua Kea is already covered with snow. Snow showers are less common for the rest of the island.
Iowa State University said it was over 3.5 years ago from the Honolulu National Weather Service’s last snow storm warning. That should change this year. According to a report by CNN, the weather service predicts snowstorms with a wind speed of over 250 km / h and up to 30 centimeters of snow. However, it is unlikely that the entire island will be affected by the icy temperatures.
Snow storm in Hawaii: roads could be blocked
Rainfalls can be expected in most regions. According to the weather experts, however, these should not be underestimated either: “In some cases, heavy rainfall is expected over long periods of time, which can lead to flooding,” warns the National Weather Service on Honolulu. Roads could possibly be closed as a result of the flooding. (tt)
Weather extremes have also occurred in other parts of the USA in the past few weeks. Especially in the north of the country, the weather service forecast a temperature drop and winter storms around Thanksgiving.
