(WTXL) -- Most folks would not equate snow and blizzards to the state of Hawaii. Travelers often trek there for the tropical warmth and elegant beaches. However, part of the beauty that is the 50th state is the mountainous terrain of the island chain.
The highest peaks on the "big island" of Hawaii (like Mauna Lea and Mauna Kea) and the island of Maui reach above 13,000 feet, where temperatures are colder in the winter season compared to the sea-level coastlines. Because of the existence of these mountains, the overall climate ranges vastly, from the familiar tropical to the chilly sub-Arctic.
The mountains interrupt the general wind flow around the island. Upsloping winds help to drive clouds and rain, while downsloping winds cause dry conditions. According to the Honolulu office of the National Weather Service, temperatures fall by an average of three degrees per 1,000 feet in elevation, which can plunge temperatures at the summit of these mountains below freezing in the colder parts of the year.
While extreme severe weather is quite rare, these upper elevations can experience strong winds and snowfall caused by broad low-pressure storm systems, which can occasionally combine to create blizzard conditions.
The coldest temperature recorded in Hawaii is 12° on Mauna Kea on May 17, 1979.
Blizzard warnings are in effect for the summits of the Big Island through Thursday for a mix of snow, ice, and freezing fog, along with winds possibly gusting to 85 mph.
