【Watch What Every Frenchwoman Wants Online】

Thundersnow,Watch What Every Frenchwoman Wants Online a phenomenon that makes weather geeks everywhere rejoice, struck in an unusual location on Sunday.

According to the National Weather Service, a low pressure system resulted in snowfall with "continuous thunder and lightning" over the summits of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on the Big Island of Hawaii.

SEE ALSO: The blizzard blanketing the East Coast is a stunning giant in this view from space

The summits were plastered with snow and pounded by strong winds on Sunday, according to webcam footage and social media postings.

While snowfall is not unusual on these mountains -- Mauna Kea is 13,769 feet above sea level -- thundersnow is rare.

Mauna Kea rangers reporting significant snowfall with continuous thunder and lightning over the summits. #thundersnow in Hawaii! #hiwx

— NWSHonolulu (@NWSHonolulu) December 18, 2016

Thundersnow is essentially a thunderstorm that occurs when it's cold enough to snow instead of rain, and like summertime thunderstorms, thundersnow also requires the vigorous upward motion of air.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

According to weather.com, such conditions were present on Sunday thanks to what is known as a "Kona Low."

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

This weather setup features an upper level low pressure area centered to the west of the Big Island. A surface low pressure area also formed, causing winds to shift out of the typical northeasterly direction to the southwest, which is known locally as the leeward or "Kona" direction.

The low pressure system combined with upper level winds to trigger heavy showers and thunderstorms across the Hawaiian Islands on Sunday.

Via Giphy

Made it to work finally and found a little snow. 😂#maunakea pic.twitter.com/TII1j58715

— Leslie E Shirkey Jr (@ShirkeyJr) December 20, 2016

The Big Island in particular was located in an ideal position to be hit by such heavy precipitation, and the Weather Service had issued winter storm warnings for the summits.

Because of its distance from air pollution sources and low light pollution, Mauna Kea serves as an astronomical observatory, with several world-class telescopes located on the summit.

---

Featured Video For You

---

Watch Hawaii become a winter wonderland

---

• Science
• Shopping
• Digital Culture
• Social Good
• Life
• Tech
• Games
• Entertainment

• The Dark Web: What is It and How To Access It
• 'Making a Murderer' case will not be heard by Supreme Court
• 'Consumer Reports' auto picks include Ford Mustang Mach
• How to correct Siri's pronunciation
• FreeSync 2 Explained
• Dating apps have created a culture of entitlement
• Twitter adds ether to Tips feature, joining bitcoin
• Cat instantly regrets decision to sniff salt and vinegar chip
• The Story Behind the Home of Forgotten Video Games
• 'Horizon Forbidden West' review: Gaming's best end

• Vibrator company will delete the personal data it snooped from you
• The jeans absolutely no one needs, wants, or asked for
• Turn off the TV right after 'The Bachelor' season finale? You might have missed this.
• Neil Patrick Harris just got his first tattoo and it's so Count Olaf of him
• New sight simulator shows what it's like to be legally blind
• The author of that heartbreaking dating profile for her husband has died
• Chris Hemsworth goes full beast mode in intense workout video
• You might not know it, but this Kiwi city is a total street art wonderland
• Anglican church releases official advisory on 'Beauty and the Beast'
• This March Madness, Julia Louis

• Exceptionally rare radio sources detected in the distant universe
• Cat instantly regrets decision to sniff salt and vinegar chip
• People are confusing their dogs with this simple towel trick
• GMC's Hummer EV battery alone weighs more than most cars
• NYT Strands hints, answers for April 14
• Cynthia Nixon celebrates #TransDayofAction with a post about her son
• Instagram on desktop is way better for being a creep
• Twitter has rolled out pinned DMs on iOS, Android, and the web
• Better Buy: Previous
• Facebook's 'News Feed' is now just 'Feed.' Reactions are mixed.

• Why Building a Gaming PC Right Now is a Bad Idea, Part 3: Bad Timing
• 'Horizon Forbidden West' has its own Lego set
• NFT Marketplace that auctioned off first tweet suspends sales due to plagiarism
• Kangaroo invades field, decides it wants to play goalkeeper
• Hurricane Laura's impact lingered with nightmarish mosquito swarms
• 2018 World's Ugliest Dog contest crowns a bulky bulldog as the winner
• Jack Black in 'The Polka King' is my problematic crush
• Netflix's 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' is an extra bloody mess: Movie Review
• The 5 most inappropriate things Donald Trump said at a Puerto Rico disaster briefing
• Explosive NASA images show volcano's eruption reached incredible heights