Construction on the $1.4 billion Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) atop Hawaii’s Mauna Kea has been delayed–because of snow. Make that about two feet of snow, coupled with 50-70 mph winds. That’s what Ryan Lyman, meteorologist for the Mauna Kea Weather Center, thinks the summit is in for, according to the Hawaii Tribune-Herald.
Both the Mauna Kea and nearby Mauna Loa summits are already snow-covered, with a fresh blizzard warning currently in effect. The National Weather Service warns this blizzard “will lead to whiteout conditions… Making travel extremely dangerous.” The telescope, expected to be the world’s largest when complete, isn’t scheduled to be finished until 2022. So a few snow days aren’t a big deal.