Hawaiian Peaks, Plains States Hit by Snow

Separate storms spread up to eight inches of snow Sunday on parts of the northern Plains and the Northeast, and blizzard conditions socked the peaks of two of Hawaii’s volcanoes.

Blowing snow and freezing rain created blizzard conditions above the 10,000-foot level of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on Hawaii Island.

Astronomers working at observatories atop Mauna Kea reported zero visibility, heavy snow and fog, freezing temperatures and strong wind. Patches of freezing rain on roads prompted officials to halt travel to the summits Sunday.

The volcano-top weather began clearing by afternoon, the weather service said. It is not that unusual for the summits to get snow and blizzard-like conditions at least once a year.

On the mainland, a storm system sweeping south out of Canada threw snow across northern sections of the Rockies and the Plains.

Snowfall was heavy across parts of the Black Hills in western South Dakota, with six to eight inches reported near Lead and Deadwood.

In central Wyoming, two to five inches of snow fell in the Big Horn Mountains, with two inches at Lander.

An upper-level storm system moved rapidly across New England. Winter weather advisories were posted across sections of northeastern and central Massachusetts, northeastern Connecticut and northwestern Rhode Island, the National Weather Service said.

The heaviest snowfall was over northeastern Pennsylvania, where La Raysville and Rome each had eight inches.