We are becoming the City That Never Sleets.
Pacific island paradise Hawaii has officially seen more snow than New York City so far this fall despite the ferocious winter storm that pummeled the Northeast last week.
That’s right, meteorologists issued a winter weather alert for the Big Island on October 28 after the first snow of the season dolloped the summit of Mauna Kea, which is the island nation’s tallest peak at over 14,000 feet tall, Fox Weather reported.
Snow blanketing the summit of Mauna Kea on October 28. Derek Petrowski via Storyful
NYC generally receives its first measurable inch of snow on December 13. REUTERS
Graph showing how a winter storm could impact Thanksgiving travel plans. Fox Weather
“Winter is here,” the Maunakea Visitor Center wrote on their Facebook page alongside photos of the unlikely winter wonderland.
This might seem anomalous given Hawaii’s reputation as a tropical getaway, but the mountain’s extreme elevation means that the peak experiences a different climate, including snowfall and freezing temps, than the base.
In fact, snow is a common sight on the volcano during the island nation’s wet season from October to April — truly a tale of fire and ice.
Back on the mainland, parts of Upstate New York and Pennsylvania received over a foot of snow amid a potent winter storm last week, but the Big Apple received nary a snowflake, alas.
Thankfully, there’s still hope that Gothamites could experience a white Christmas; The first measurable snow of one inch or more in NYC generally falls around December 13.
That being said, this so-called Northeastern winter wonderland has been eerily snowless compared to years past.
From February 2022 to January 2024, New York City experienced a snow drought of 701 days — the city’s longest ever.
This streak was finally “cold snapped” on January 16 after 1.4 inches fell on Central Park, attracting throngs of grateful sledders and other winter revelers.
