
A strong storm hitting Hawaii has knocked out power, brought down tree branches, flooded coastal roads - and even brought snow.

While snow is not unheard of in Hawaii, officials said the blanket at Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area on the island of Maui is likely the first for any state park.

Polipoli is located at an altitude of 6,200 feet and the snow is possibly the lowest elevation sprinkling ever recorded in the state.

'[P]erhaps [for] the first time ever, snow has fallen in a Hawaii State Park,' Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) posted to its Facebook page Sunday. 'Polipoli State Park on Maui is blanketed with snow. It could also be the lowest elevation snow ever recorded in the state.'

The storm, which the National Weather Service office in Honolulu described as 'historic,' first began pounding the islands Friday. Hawaii News Now reported a 66-year old California man died in the rough surf off northwest Maui on Friday.

Winter times: Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area on Maui, Hawaii, is seen covered in snow after a storm brought unusual weather to the state

Snow is not unheard of in mountainous parts of the tropical island chain, but officials say the coating at 6,200 feet at the state park on Maui could mark the lowest-elevation snowfall ever recorded in the state

Black volcanic cinders have a dusting of snow at the Polipoli State Recreation area on the slopes of Haleakala near Kula on the Hawaii island of Maui, Monday

Snow is not unheard of in mountainous parts of the tropical island chain, but officials say the coating at 6,200 feet (1,900 meters) at the state park on Maui could mark the lowest-elevation snowfall ever recorded in the state

'(Forecasters) are calling this an unprecedented event and we concur that we rarely if ever have seen the combination of record high on-shore waves, coupled with gale force winds,' said Sam Lemmo, administrator of DLNR.

When Lance Endo's friend camping at a state park on Maui texted him early Sunday that there was snow he jumped in his truck and drove more than hour to see it.

'I just wanted to go play in the snow,' Endo said.

Endo headed back down from the park on the slopes of Haleakala, where the weather service says there were snow drifts of about 4 feet, to bring his two children up to the park.

Endo said he wanted his kids to 'see something that's very unusual in Hawaii.'

The snow has been brought to Hawaii by a chunk of cold, low-pressure air separated from the main flow, known as a Kona Low.

The storm's most extreme blow was generated on the Big Island's towering peak of Mauna Kea where a 191mph wind gust blasted the mountain summit at 4.40pm local time Sunday.

'That's the strongest wind gust I've ever seen up there,' said Jon Jelsema, senior forecaster at the Weather Service office in Honolulu. 'We tend to get a gust maybe to 150mph once a winter or so, but never 191mph.'

The visitor station on the 13,308 foot mountain is closed until Tuesday 'due to the predicted continuation of severe weather,' according to the station's website. The road is shut down whenever visibility drops below 50 feet, or winds gust to 65 mph or greater.

Polipoli is located at an altitude of 6,200 feet and the snow is possibly the lowest elevation sprinkling ever recorded in the state. A still from a video driving through the park is seen above

In this photo taken February 10, Denaye Johnson runs for cover as wind and rain hits the north shore of Oahu near Haleiwa

Rough surf hits Oahu's Waimea Bay near Haleiwa, Hawaii during the stormy weather

The map above shows the current snow coverage on the Hawaii islands on Tuesday morning

In addition to the snow, a rare severe thunderstorm warning was issued for southern Kauai Saturday night.

Wind gusts up to 67 mph were clocked in the oceanside town of Port Allen in Kauai. The community resides on the south side of the island, protected from the harshest conditions streaming in out of the northeast.

Wave heights approached 40 feet just north of the island on Sunday.

Due to strong winds over the weekend, just over 2,400 customers across Hawaii were without power Monday morning, according to PowerOutage.us. That’s down from a peak of nearly 27,000.

Storm damage is seen on Maui with downed power lines pictured above

Flooding: Cars drive through surf that washed over a roadway on Oahu's north shore near near Haleiwa, Hawaii

A downed powerline is pictured in Maui. Due to strong winds over the weekend, just over 2,400 customers across Hawaii were without power Monday morning, according to PowerOutage.us

Damage from the storm is seen on the island of Maui. '(Forecasters) are calling this an unprecedented event and we concur that we rarely if ever have seen the combination of record high on-shore waves, coupled with gale force winds,' said Sam Lemmo, administrator of DLNR