The common image of Hawaii is one of warm beaches and tropical rainforests, making the idea of snow seem like a contradiction. Nevertheless, snow is a regular meteorological phenomenon, confined to specific, extremely high-altitude locations. This unusual juxtaposition of tropical warmth and alpine cold results from the islands’ unique volcanic geography. Understanding the distribution and quantity of this snowfall requires looking closely at the few places cold enough for frozen precipitation to form.
Where Snow Falls in Hawaii
Snowfall in Hawaii is exclusively limited to the summits of the highest volcanoes, where elevations are sufficient to drop air temperatures below freezing. The vast majority of the islands, including all residential and commercial areas, remain in a tropical climate and never see snow. The altitude threshold for regular snowfall generally begins around 9,000 to 10,000 feet above sea level.
The two most frequent locations for snow are Mauna Kea (13,803 feet) and Mauna Loa (13,680 feet), both located on Hawaiʻi Island (the Big Island). These heights put the summits consistently above the typical trade wind inversion layer, exposing them to colder, drier air masses that bring snow during specific weather events.
A third, less frequent location is Haleakalā on Maui, which stands at 10,023 feet. Because its summit barely exceeds the 10,000-foot mark, it receives significantly less snow than the Big Island peaks. Snow on Haleakalā often occurs when a strong, deep low-pressure system passes over the islands, driving the freezing level lower.
How Much Snow Accumulates and How Often
Snowfall on the highest Hawaiian peaks is largely a winter phenomenon, occurring most reliably between October and April. While it can happen in any month on Mauna Kea, the frequency is high on the Big Island summits, with both Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa typically receiving at least one snowfall event annually. Haleakalā on Maui is less reliable, often seeing snow only once every two to three years.
The amount of snow that accumulates is highly variable, ranging from light dustings to significant snowpacks. Most events result in just a few inches of snow, which quickly melts under the strong equatorial sun. More powerful storm systems, often associated with a Kona Low, can occasionally deposit several feet of snow on the summits. For example, in December 2016, a Kona Low brought over two feet of snow to the peaks of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa.
The snowpack is temporary and non-perennial, unlike continental snowpacks. Accumulation typically melts away within days or, at most, a few weeks, even in winter. The temporary nature of the snow, combined with the extreme elevation, means the average annual accumulation is relatively low. Mauna Loa’s summit, for example, receives an average of less than four inches of snowfall per year.