# Snow in Hawaii, too!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snow-in-hawaii-too/709572>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [January 11, 2015, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snow-in-hawaii-too/709572 "2015-01-11T22:05:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snow-in-hawaii-too/709572/1 "2015-01-11T22:05:26Z")

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Heard how there is snow on the ground in all 50 states in the US.

I guess this is correct if you count the summit of the volcano Mauna Kea on the Big Island. No one really lives up there, but there are several observatories. The scientists and others that work there, live further down the mountain.

People can drive up to the summit in 4 wheel drive vehicles, but right now the road is closed due to all the snow. Mauna Kea is almost 13,800 feet above sea level; our home is at about 350 feet.

Here’s a photo of the summit from our driveway just north of Hilo.

[http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v61/GarySiegel/snow3\_zps6c9f03ef.jpg](http://smg.photobucket.com/user/GarySiegel/media/snow3_zps6c9f03ef.jpg.html)

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**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snow-in-hawaii-too/709572/2 "2015-01-11T22:14:09Z")

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That’s certainly more than a dusting of snow.

I’ve driven to the summit each time I’ve been on the Big Island (so, all of 4 times). This has always been in winter, and there have always been at least some scraps of snow evident. But it looks like White Mountain has lived up to its name this year.

> [@](#):
>
> … there are several observatories.

Thirteen, according to some quick Googling.

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**Author:** ![FXMastermind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fxmastermind/32/7289_2.png) [@FXMastermind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FXMastermind)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snow-in-hawaii-too/709572/3 "2015-01-11T22:20:38Z")

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Have you experienced any of [the record cold](http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/01/07/375680223/sorry-no-space-heaters-hawaii-copes-with-record-cold) there?

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**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2015, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snow-in-hawaii-too/709572/4 "2015-01-11T22:38:47Z")

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> [@FXMastermind](#):
>
> Have you experienced any of [the record cold](http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/01/07/375680223/sorry-no-space-heaters-hawaii-copes-with-record-cold) there?

Not really. Lows in the mid 60’s near the water, but its not unusual to see people in long sleeve sweatshirts in the early morning hours. Mid 60’s is cold to a lot of locals.

There are a number of people that live in Volcano at 3,750 ft. The town is near the base of the Mauna Loa volcano and can see lows in the upper 40’s during the winter.