Snow caused by overnight heavy rains and thunderstorms covered the summit of Mauna Kea on Hawaii's Big Island on Friday morning.
The 13,796 foot-elevated summit of the dormant volcano is covered with 1.5 inches of snow and icy conditions, according to a ranger's report.
The cameras captured the rare phenomenon at Mauna Kea, which usually gets snow in the winter months but very rarely in the summer.
"It can happen, even in July," meteorologist Ryan Lyman said, according to West Hawaii Today. He also added that the snow should be melting quickly.
National Weather Service meteorologist Maureen Ballard said that "the chance of another freak snowstorm in Hawaii any time soon is unlikely," ABC News reported.
“It’s not out of the realm of possibility that something more could happen at the summit, but temperatures are rising,” Ballard said.
In the summer, average high temperatures at the summit are around 40 degrees, and average lows are around 25 degrees.
The weather on the summit is predictable, the Mauna Kea Weather Center said. "A calm sunny day may quickly become treacherous with hurricane force winds and blizzard conditions," the MKWC said in a statement.
Because of the snow, the Mauna Kea Access Road was closed on July 17 "due to icy road conditions at the summit" and was re-opened on July 20 after the rangers performed "remedial work and grading."
