The First Winter Storm of t...

Mauna Kea is again white.

Not that you can see it yet, the mountain is currently wreathed in clouds and darkness. The road to the summit has been closed to vehicles. When it can be seen, the mountain will again display the white mantle for which it is famous. The snow goddess, Poli'ahu, has returned to claimed her home.

There was no snow to be seen at lunchtime, the clouds flirted with the summit. Periodically it was thick fog, a few minutes later you could see the cloud draped shape of Haleakala. It began snowing in the mid-afternoon, for a while it did not stick. Later in the afternoon the weather closed in as if with intent and the snow began in earnest. When we pulled out at 5pm the snow was beginning to accumulate, almost an inch on the ground. The vehicles were well coated as we piled in for the road to warmer weather.

The fog and snow limited visibility to a few yards as we drive through wind driven snow. The road was not too bad, the asphalt retained some of the day's warmth, keeping the wet snow from turning to ice. We knew this would change in a hour or two, time to leave the mountain. Even so, the commercial summit tours were headed up as we headed down. No sunset for their guests tonight, but instead the unique experience of a blizzard in Hawai'i.

As I write I am listening to heavy rain on the roof. Much warmer here at low elevation, as the first real rain in months soaks the ground in Waikoloa.