The lower 48 states are lacking in snow but Hawaii has a blizzard warning with 100 mph winds
The weather service is forecasting up to a foot of snow or more with winds gusting up to 100 mph through the weekend for the Big Island summits.
Hawaii’s two mountain peaks, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, both which sit at more than 13,000 feet above sea level, are the only two locations that see snow annually in Hawaii.
Both summits typically see fresh snow every winter, mainly because the wet season in Hawaii runs from October to April and temperatures regularly drop below freezing on the summits from November to March.
Even though the Big Island of Hawaii will get snow, the vast majority of the state will see rain, a lot of rain. A flood watch is in place for most of the rest of the state.
Be prepared to adjust your travel plans accordingly if you’re in Hawaii, as some roads may be closed or difficult to pass if flooding occurs or snow becomes very heavy with poor visibility.
Fake stuff for the rest of the US
Snow may be plentiful for Alaska and Hawaii, but it is in short supply across the contiguous US. Outside of the fake snow created by ski resorts through November, you may be hard pressed to find snow, even in some usually white locations. But there may be a glimmer of hope for some snow this weekend, just not in Colorado.
Denver isn’t alone. The vast majority of the lower 48 states recorded below-average snowfall last month.
That could be changing for some areas this weekend though as the potential for snow returns for the Midwest on Sunday.
A developing area of low pressure over Montana this weekend combined with an arctic air mass located on the northern side of the US-Canada border will provide the necessary ingredients for a moderate snowstorm event.
“Widespread snowfall amounts greater than 5 inches is likely across the northern half of North Dakota, mainly north of Interstate 94. This amount of snowfall and the potential for periods of heavy snow may lead to difficult travel conditions.”
Winter storm watches and warnings have been issued from Montana to Wisconsin, but more areas may be added through the weekend.
A couple inches of snow are forecast for northern Michigan, including Marquette which has snow chances in the forecast Friday all the way through Monday.
“For the Northeast, cold and blustery northwest winds will keep temperatures below average for early December,” the WPC said. “As a result, consistent lake effect snow showers are possible through Sunday morning with some enhancement possible on Saturday as a low pressure system passes just to the north.”
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