UH System News Images of the Week: It’s snowing on Maunakea! Snowplow crew: Safety first

Posted on January 7, 2026January 10, 2026 by Staff

The Center for Maunakea Stewardship utilities crew cleared the road of snow with a snow blower, two snowplows, and a frontend loader.

Large observatory dishes in a snowy landscape. — Submillimeter Array, an eight-dish radio interferometer on the summit of Maunakea, covered in snow. (Photos: Center for Maunakea Stewardship/UH Hilo)

Snowplow on the road. — The Center for Maunakea Stewardship’s utilities crew at work clearing the road.

Five guys getting lunch. — Snowplow crew taking a well-deserved break.

This week’s UH News Images of the Week are from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Center for Maunakea Stewardship (CMS).

In early January, the summit of Maunakea received about 8–10 inches of snowfall. The CMS utilities crew worked to clear the snow with a snow blower, two snow plows and a frontend loader. The Maunakea Rangers would like to remind visitors that while snow in Hawaiʻi is amazing, the conditions at the summit can be dangerous. They have already helped visitors and staff evacuate down the mauna, and recommend waiting for better weather conditions to experience Maunakea.

You can view the snow on the summit via webcams on the Maunakea Weather Center website.