(ABOVE PHOTO) Image of shows snow on the summit area of Mauna Kea, taken from the town of Waimea by Lynn Beittel of Visionary Video.

(ABOVE VIDEO) uploading now

UPDATE: The Mauna Kea Access Road is now open to the public

NEWS BRIEFS

• The morning sunrise revealed a snow covered Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa Tuesday morning.
• Early this morning, the road to the summit of Mauna Kea was closed to the public at the Visitor Information Station.

INSIGHTS

Yesterday’s severe weather rattled the Big Island with thunderstorms and some flooding, but left some scenery on the summit areas.

Tuesdaay morning webcam view from UKIRT, aimed southwest.

This inset of a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory panorama combines images from a temporary research camera positioned on the north rim of Mokuʻāweoweo, the summit caldera of Mauna Loa volcano by the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

PRIMARY SOURCES

According to the Mauna Kea rangers:

“Aloha,

The road to the summit of Maunakea remains closed to the public at the Visitor Information Station due to icy snow on the summit roads making for unsafe driving conditions. The road crew will conduct road clearing operations later this morning and the road will remain closed until they are completed and the road is safe. This message will be updated as conditions change.

Mahalo and have a nice day!

This announcement is primarily used to inform the public about road closures. Road closures typically occur during winter months due to ice or snow on the road and occasionally for high wind situations. Specific road closure criteria are listed below:

1. Any ice or snow on the road.
2. Winds greater than 55 mph for more than 1 hour and/or gusts greater than 65mph.
3. Visibility less than 50 feet.
4. Any emergent condition that makes the road unsafe for travel.

There are very few road closures from April 1 through November 30, and this message will not be updated during this time period unless unusual circumstances develop.

The rest of this website is regularly updated with the summit weather forecast and is a useful source of current Mauna Kea weather conditions.” Mauna Kea rangers on Oct. 14 at 4:04 a.m. HST