HONOLULU — The National Weather Service issued a Winter Storm Warning for Hawaii Island’s highest summits on Jan. 5 as heavy snow and ice coated Mauna Loa in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and Mauna Kea, according to KHON2 News. The rare storm, fueled by an upper-level low, brought snow accumulations of 5 to 10 inches and dangerous rime icing at elevations above 11,000 feet, making travel “very difficult to impossible” due to reduced visibility.
The warning remains in effect through 6 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 6, with officials urging visitors and locals to postpone trips to the mountain summits until conditions improve. While snow on Hawaii’s tallest peaks isn’t unusual in winter, this marks the first winter storm of 2026, impacting the entire island chain with wet, windy weather.
Mauna Loa is the largest active volcano on the planet.
