A white out on the Canada France Hawaii Telescope webcam this morning…

MAUNA KEA, Hawaii – The road to the summit of Mauna Kea is closed to the public at the Visitor Information Station due to heavy snowfall and ice on the roadway, as a Winter Storm Warning is in effect for Hawaii summits above 12,000 feet.

The National Weather Service in Honolulu says an upper level low moving over the area will lower freezing levels and destabilize the atmosphere. A surge of moisture moving in from the southeast is forecast to produce bursts of heavy snow across the Big Island summits of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa.

Webcams positioned on the summit of Mauna Kea are mostly whited out, but a glimpse of snow can be seen in the images.

This is the north-facing UKIRT webcam this morning.

A webcam on Mauna Loa (top of the article) shows a more clearly the image of snow surrounding the Mauna Loa Observatory, high on the volcano.

Accumulations of 6 to 12 inches are expected through Friday, forecasters say.

Winds are east to southeast at 25 to 40 mph with gusts to 50 mph.

A Flash Flood Watch is also in effect for the rest of Hawaii Island.