USGS webcam on Maunakea with snow-capped Mauna Loa in the distance

(BIVN) – The Winter Storm Warnings for Hawaiʻi island summits are no longer in effect, but the deep snow remains on Saturday morning.

The summits of Maunakea and Mauna Loa are still covered in a blanket of snow that stretched into much lower elevations than usual.

“The Maunakea Access Road is CLOSED all day to the public at the Visitor Information Station at an elevation of 9,200 feet due to heavy snow, icy roads, high humidity, and below-freezing temperatures,” Maunakea Rangers wrote in a Saturday morning message. “Maintenance personnel are working to clear the road but the summit remains inaccessible at this time. The Rangers will monitor the road and weather conditions throughout the day and will update this message as the conditions change.”

UKIRT webcam shows Observatories in deep snow

Roads and walkways surrounding the Maunakea summit observatories appear buried in snow. Webcams views captured sprawling snowscapes.

“Incredible snowfall on #MaunaLoa!” tweeted Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. “It has been a long time since we have seen this much snow this low on the mauna.”

The view of Mauna Loa from Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (photo courtesy National Park Service)

The snow event coincided with a month of heavy rain that soaked Hawaiʻi but also lifted the Big Island out of drought. “After receiving just 2.06″ of rain during the month of January, the Hilo Airport got 37.95″ of rain in the 28 days of February,” tweeted the National Weather Service in Honolulu. “This is not a record though – in 1979, February saw 45.55″ after Jan saw 32.24”.

USGS webcam on Maunakea with snow-capped Mauna Loa in the distance