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Snow falling in some areas of Hawaii that never see the white stuff

Posted at 10:56 AM, Feb 12, 2019
and last updated 2019-02-12 12:04:11-05

Want another indicator that the world’s climate is whacked out?

A strong storm brought power outages, harsh winds, and even snow to parts of Hawaii that normally don’t see that form of precipitation.

Snow falls in Hawaii a few times a year in winter on the state’s highest peak, Mauna Kea, which rises 13,803 feet in elevation, according to SFgate.com.  But the white stuff is rarely seen at elevations below 10,000 feet on the island.

On Sunday, Maui’s 10,000-foot Haleakala received a thick blanket as snow accumulated at 6,200 feet at the Polipoli State Recreation Area.

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Snow in our State Park? ⛄️❄️ Now that’s a first! . Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area on Maui was blanketed in snow this weekend during a powerful winter storm. At 6,200 feet, this may be the lowest elevation at which snow has been recorded in Hawai’i. . Video: Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area; mahalo Kimberly Espania. . #doyouwannabuildasnowman #winterstorm #polipoli #polipolistatepark #maui #snow #hawaiistateparks #optoutside #hawaiidlnr

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Strong gusting winds, some reaching to 190 mph, took down trees and branches, leaving them across roadways or worse—across power lines and structures.

Hiro Toiya, director of the Honolulu Department of Emergency Management, called on people to have “extra caution” while driving.

“[P]erhaps [for] the first time ever, snow has fallen in a Hawaii State Park,” Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) wrote on Facebook on Sunday.

It added: “Polipoli State Park on Maui is blanketed with snow. It could also be the lowest elevation snow ever recorded in the state.”

DLNR Divisions Continue Monitoring Powerful Winter StormSNOW FALLS AT POLIPOLI STATE PARKPersonnel from numerous DLNR…

Posted by Hawaii DLNR (Department of Land and Natural Resources) on Sunday, February 10, 2019

It is led to frigid conditions on the island paradise that is never associated with the area.