Hawaii sees snow before parts of Canada
The area also saw a winter advisory in mid-October.
Winter weather advisories were in effect for Hawaii’s Big Island summits Wednesday and Thursday, with near-freezing temperatures and light snow recorded.
Research cameras first observed snow on the ground at Maunea Kea and Maunea Loa’s summits on Tuesday. The National Weather Service says up to 10 cm could fall in total.
"Hawaii might be a tropical paradise, but at it's highest peak, where the 'air might be rare', snow is not," explains Weather Network meteorologist Nadine Hinds-Powell.
"Mauna kea summit on the Big Island reaches over 4200 metres, and sometimes receives snow. Occasionally, the National Weather Service in the U.S. issues weather advisories and warnings for the summit. In fact, snow is quite common in every season, except summer."
Snow in Hawaii before parts of Canada?
Despite the commonality of snow at Mauna Kea, what makes this weather event interesting is that Hawaii has now officially seen snow sooner in the year than other characteristically “snowy” regions, like British Columbia’s Okanagan and, in the U.S., Boston, Massachusetts.
"Here in Canada, winter is already in full swing in many regions, but there are a few cities that are yet to see snow," Nadine says.
"Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal had one of the earliest starts to the season in Canada, with over 10 cm at the start of November. Cities still waiting for their first snowfall include Vancouver and Victoria, although these cities are typically a couple of late arrivals to the party."
Charlottetown, PEI and Halifax Nova Scotia have only recorded a trace of snow so far this year, effectively making them snowless so far, especially in comparison to Mauna Kea.
In this instance, elevation won out over latitude, Nadine says.
"Mauna Kea lies at 19.82°N, while Vancouver and Victoria are at more northerly latitudes of 49.28°N and 48.42°N, respectively."
Mauna Kea is considered one of the best places in the world for sky observations due to its climate and elevation. The site hosts 13 telescopes which are funded by 11 countries.