Wednesday, December 24, 2014

A Blizzard Warning In... Hawaii???

From the National Weather Service:
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
339 AM HST WED DEC 24 2014
...BLIZZARD WARNING FOR THE SUMMITS OF MAUNA KEA AND MAUNA LOA...
A SHARP UPPER TROUGH TO THE WEST OF THE BIG ISLAND WILL CONTINUE
TO DRAW DEEP MOISTURE OVER THE SUMMITS TODAY...LEADING TO PERIODS
OF HEAVY SNOW AND LOW VISIBILITY ON THE HIGH SUMMITS. WINDS HAVE
INCREASED RAPIDLY THIS MORNING AND ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE
INCREASING TODAY. WHILE SNOW CHANCES WILL DIMINISH LATER
TODAY...VERY STRONG WINDS WILL CONTINUE...POSSIBLY THROUGH
TONIGHT.
HIZ028-250145-
/O.CON.PHFO.BZ.W.0001.000000T0000Z-141225T0400Z/
BIG ISLAND SUMMITS-
339 AM HST WED DEC 24 2014
...BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM HST THIS
EVENING...
A BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM HST THIS EVENING.
* LOCATIONS...MAUNA KEA AND MAUNA LOA ABOVE 11500 FEET.
* HAZARD TYPES...VERY STRONG WINDS AND BITTERLY COLD WIND CHILLS.
  HEAVY SNOW...BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW...AND POSSIBLE LIGHTNING
  STRIKES.
* ACCUMULATIONS...UP TO 8 INCHES WITH HIGHER DRIFTS.
* TIMING...THROUGH WEDNESDAY.
* IMPACTS...EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS AND POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING
  CONDITIONS FOR ANYONE ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE OR HIKE TO THE
  SUMMITS.
* WINDS...SOUTH 45 TO 65 MPH WITH LOCALIZED GUSTS OVER 90 MPH.
* TEMPERATURES...IN THE UPPER 30S.
* VISIBILITIES...BELOW ONE QUARTER MILE IN HEAVY SNOW SHOWERS.
  http://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=usa&wwa=Blizzard

From the Hawaii Tribune-Herald: It’s weather Santa would approve.The Big Island’s two summits are braced for Hawaii’s answer to that proverbial howling nor’easter — with wind gusts of more than 90 mph expected to drive up to a foot of snow hard into the mountain faces by today. Temperatures on the peaks were forecast to dip to a frosty 23 degrees Tuesday night, according to the Mauna Kea Weather Center.Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea were under blizzard warnings Tuesday and today and summit roads were closed as a potent upper atmosphere disturbance geared up to slam the peaks. Bitterly cold wind chills, lightning and blowing and drifting snow were combining to create life-threatening conditions for anyone trying to drive or hike the summit of Mauna Kea, forecasters warned. - See more at: http://hawaiitribune-herald.com/news/local-news/winter-arrives#sthash.9V0pKRdQ.dpuf
Of all the places you have in the United States, I think Hawaii would be about the last place you would expect a blizzard warning.
(and since this is not April Fools Day, I am sure this is a legit warning)

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