Snow on Mauna Kea

[PaulW]

One of the many, many benefits of having the telescopes on MK. Not many other mountains in the world that high that you can drive to the top of.

[Guest]

Wow, great garden picture Carey. Yes very grateful to the scientific folks for road access Tom, when is it going to be open to the public?

[Carey]

Thnaks, It is fun to slurp my coffee & check every morning to see if the "mountain is up"

I am posting the IFA weather link, for anyone that wants to see the current conditions, including the current road status...nothing about future) up on the mountain

I like the Canada France Hawaii CFHT view of their ice sculpture!:
http://mkwc.ifa.hawaii.edu/current/cams/...mode=multi

[TomK]

There's currently a blizzard warning in effect for the summit through 6pm on Thursday. The road is unlikely to be opened to the public until sometime Friday in my opinion. Road information can be found here:

http://mkwc.ifa.hawaii.edu/current/road-conditions/

Current message is:

"Aloha,

The road to the summit of Maunakea is CLOSED to the public due to blizzard-like conditions at the summit. Due to ice and snow on the road and high winds in the summit area, the road will stay closed through the night. Please note that the anemometer (wind gauge) is currently frozen and not giving accurate readings, but winds at the summit are anywhere between 40 and 55 mph. Poor weather is forecast for the next several days, and we do not know when the road will re-open. An early morning inspection will be conducted tomorrow and this message will be updated at that time.

Mahalo and have a safe day,

VIS Staff"

[PunaMauka2]

i'm thinking you astrophysicists engage in the occasional inter-telescope snowball war on those overcast nights up there.

[TomK]

Oh, I've certainly been in the odd snowball fight up there. Unfortunately, one or two astronomers found out too late that I'm an ex-cricketer and still have quite a good arm! I never aimed for the head though

Incidentally, you might be interested to learn that observatory staff are forbidden any snow play unless the road is open to the public.

[rainyjim]

Hey Tom, I sent you an e-mail, let me know if you don't receive it please!

[TomK]

Got it, replying now. Unfortunately I won't be able to help I'm afraid. You should get my reply in a few minutes.

[PunaMauka2]

...busted. ex-cricketer, i can imagine the elaborate throwing form. haha

i assume that no-snow-play-when-road-closed rule is a public relations precaution guarding against, say... someone vociferously protesting that the astrophysicists are having all the fun while the public is denied access? just a wild guess.

[TomK]

It might be a wild guess, PM2, but that's exactly the reason.