HILO — Mauna Kea had a white cap once again this week, if only briefly.
A moisture-rich weather system brought a dusting of snow to the summit Monday as it drenched lower elevations on the windward side.
But island residents hoping to bring truckloads home will be disappointed.
Ryan Lyman, Mauna Kea Weather Center meteorologist, said there was not much more than a trace on the ground, and it wasn’t expected to last long.
Only patches of snow could be seen through webcams Tuesday morning and the Mauna Kea Access Road remained open.
“There maybe a chance for another one (Tuesday) afternoon,” he said.
Snow in the summer is not unusual.
“All it takes is precipitation and temperatures below freezing,” Lyman said.
But this dusting follows a dry winter that produced no significant snowfall on the mountain.
Lyman said this winter will likely be different thanks to a switch in weather patterns from El Nino to La Nina.
El Nino, characterized by drier and warmer weather, was declared over earlier this month.
While lagging for the year, Hilo remains above average for rainfall in June. Temperatures also remain about average following an unusually hot summer last year.
By Tuesday, 4.10 inches of rain had been recorded for the month, above the month-to-date average of 2.86 inches.
By press time, a flood advisory was in effect until 6:30 p.m. Tuesday as a result of heavy rain and thunderstorms over South Kohala and North Kona. Rain was falling at a rate of 2 to 3 inches per hour, the National Weather Service said.
As of 3:45 p.m. Tuesday, the highest 24-hour rainfall total was 4.33 inches recorded at Saddle Quarry on the windward side. That was followed by 3.97 inches at Waiakea Uka and 3.7 inches at Piihonua.