Editing Mauna Loa (section)

==Climate==
[[File:Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020) - MAUNA LOA 5 NNE,HI.svg|thumb|right|Climate chart for Mauna Loa]]
[[Trade wind]]s blow from east to west across the Hawaiian islands, and the presence of Mauna Loa strongly affects the local climate. At low elevations, the eastern (windward) side of the volcano receives heavy rain; [[Hilo]] is the wettest city in Hawaii and the fourth-wettest city in the United States, behind the [[southeast Alaska]]n cities of [[Whittier, Alaska|Whittier]], [[Ketchikan, Alaska|Ketchikan]] and [[Yakutat, Alaska|Yakutat]]. The rainfall supports extensive [[forest]]ation. The western (leeward) side has a much drier climate. At higher elevations, the amount of precipitation decreases, and skies are very often clear. Very low temperatures mean that precipitation often occurs in the form of snow, and the summit of Mauna Loa is described as a ''[[periglacial]]'' region, where freezing and thawing play a significant role in shaping the landscape.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/GG/HCV/mloa-flora.html|title=Mauna Loa Flora and Climate|publisher=Hawaii Center for Volcanology|year=2004|access-date=July 28, 2007|last=Rubin|first=Ken|author2=Minicola, Rochelle}}</ref>

Mauna Loa has a [[tropical climate]] with warm temperatures at lower elevations and cool to cold temperatures higher up year-round. Below is the table for the slope observatory, which is at {{convert|11150|ft|m}} in the [[alpine climate|alpine zone]]. The highest recorded temperature was {{convert|78|F|C}} and the lowest was {{convert|18|F|C}} on September 26, 1990, and February 20, 1962, respectively.<ref name= NOAA>{{cite web |url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=hfo |title = NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data |publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |access-date = September 13, 2021}}</ref>

{{Weather box
|collapsed=
|single line= Y
|location= Mauna Loa 5 NNE (1991–2020 normals, extremes 2005–present)
|temperature colour= 
|Jan record high F= 66
|Feb record high F= 66
|Mar record high F= 66
|Apr record high F= 67
|May record high F= 67
|Jun record high F= 68
|Jul record high F= 69
|Aug record high F= 68
|Sep record high F= 67
|Oct record high F= 66
|Nov record high F= 64
|Dec record high F= 63
|Jan avg record high F = 60.1
|Feb avg record high F = 58.1
|Mar avg record high F = 58.5
|Apr avg record high F = 61.0
|May avg record high F = 63.7
|Jun avg record high F = 64.7
|Jul avg record high F = 65.3
|Aug avg record high F = 64.8
|Sep avg record high F = 62.8
|Oct avg record high F = 62.9
|Nov avg record high F = 59.4
|Dec avg record high F = 58.6
|year avg record high F = 66.6
|Jan high F= 51.1
|Feb high F= 50.1
|Mar high F= 50.5
|Apr high F= 53.1
|May high F= 55.5
|Jun high F= 57.6
|Jul high F= 57.5
|Aug high F= 57.3
|Sep high F= 56.5
|Oct high F= 55.8
|Nov high F= 52.4
|Dec high F= 51.1
|year high F= 54.0
|Jan mean F = 43.2
|Feb mean F = 42.2
|Mar mean F = 42.7
|Apr mean F = 44.8
|May mean F = 47.4
|Jun mean F = 49.3
|Jul mean F = 49.1
|Aug mean F = 49.0
|Sep mean F = 48.6
|Oct mean F = 47.7
|Nov mean F = 44.8
|Dec mean F = 43.4
|year mean F = 46.0
|Jan low F= 35.4
|Feb low F= 34.3
|Mar low F= 34.8
|Apr low F= 36.5
|May low F= 39.3
|Jun low F= 41.1
|Jul low F= 40.7
|Aug low F= 40.7
|Sep low F= 40.6
|Oct low F= 39.6
|Nov low F= 37.2
|Dec low F= 35.8
|year low F= 38.0
|Jan avg record low F = 28.1
|Feb avg record low F = 27.7
|Mar avg record low F = 29.7
|Apr avg record low F = 31.3
|May avg record low F = 32.7
|Jun avg record low F = 35.4
|Jul avg record low F = 35.2
|Aug avg record low F = 35.6
|Sep avg record low F = 35.9
|Oct avg record low F = 34.8
|Nov avg record low F = 31.4
|Dec avg record low F = 30.5
|year avg record low F = 25.7
|Jan record low F= 22
|Feb record low F= 21
|Mar record low F= 27
|Apr record low F= 28
|May record low F= 31
|Jun record low F= 31
|Jul record low F= 30
|Aug record low F= 31
|Sep record low F= 33
|Oct record low F= 32
|Nov record low F= 29
|Dec record low F= 26
|year record low F= 21
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 1.10
|Feb precipitation inch = 1.04
|Mar precipitation inch = 1.94
|Apr precipitation inch = 0.87
|May precipitation inch = 0.60
|Jun precipitation inch = 0.43
|Jul precipitation inch = 1.27
|Aug precipitation inch = 2.38
|Sep precipitation inch = 0.67
|Oct precipitation inch = 1.47
|Nov precipitation inch = 1.21
|Dec precipitation inch = 1.32
|year precipitation inch = 14.30
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 inch
|Jan precipitation days = 3.9
|Feb precipitation days = 5.7
|Mar precipitation days = 6.8
|Apr precipitation days = 4.1
|May precipitation days = 4.1
|Jun precipitation days = 2.1
|Jul precipitation days = 3.7
|Aug precipitation days = 6.0
|Sep precipitation days = 4.8
|Oct precipitation days = 4.9
|Nov precipitation days = 4.6
|Dec precipitation days = 5.6
|year precipitation days = 56.3
|source 1 = NOAA<ref name= NOAA/><ref>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USW00021514&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: N POLE, AK US USC00506581
|access-date = June 10, 2023
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230610053050/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USW00021514&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|archive-date = 2023-06-10
}}
</ref>}}

{{Weather box
|location = Mauna Loa slope observatory 3,400 meters (11,150 feet) (1981–2010 normals, extremes 1955–present)
|single line = Y
|temperature colour=
|Jan record high F = 67
|Feb record high F = 69
|Mar record high F = 66
|Apr record high F = 67
|May record high F = 68
|Jun record high F = 71
|Jul record high F = 70
|Aug record high F = 69
|Sep record high F = 78
|Oct record high F = 68
|Nov record high F = 65
|Dec record high F = 67
|year record high F = 78
|Jan avg record high F = 59.7
|Feb avg record high F = 59.2
|Mar avg record high F = 59.3
|Apr avg record high F = 61.0
|May avg record high F = 62.5
|Jun avg record high F = 64.9
|Jul avg record high F = 65.0
|Aug avg record high F = 64.9
|Sep avg record high F = 64.1
|Oct avg record high F = 62.2
|Nov avg record high F = 60.2
|Dec avg record high F = 59.6
|year avg record high F = 67.2
|Jan high F = 51.9
|Feb high F = 51.2
|Mar high F = 51.9
|Apr high F = 53.2
|May high F = 55.8
|Jun high F = 58.5
|Jul high F = 57.5
|Aug high F = 57.9
|Sep high F = 56.7
|Oct high F = 55.7
|Nov high F = 53.2
|Dec high F = 52.0
|year high F = 54.6
|Jan mean F = 43.6
|Feb mean F = 42.4
|Mar mean F = 43.1
|Apr mean F = 44.3
|May mean F = 47.1
|Jun mean F = 49.3
|Jul mean F = 48.6
|Aug mean F = 49.1
|Sep mean F = 48.1
|Oct mean F = 47.3
|Nov mean F = 46.1
|Dec mean F = 44.1
|year mean F = 46.1
|Jan low F = 35.3
|Feb low F = 33.7
|Mar low F = 34.2
|Apr low F = 35.3
|May low F = 38.4
|Jun low F = 40.2
|Jul low F = 39.6
|Aug low F = 40.2
|Sep low F = 39.4
|Oct low F = 38.8
|Nov low F = 38.9
|Dec low F = 36.2
|year low F = 37.5
|Jan avg record low F = 28.1
|Feb avg record low F = 27.3
|Mar avg record low F = 28.5
|Apr avg record low F = 29.8
|May avg record low F = 32.6
|Jun avg record low F = 34.6
|Jul avg record low F = 34.4
|Aug avg record low F = 35.4
|Sep avg record low F = 34.3
|Oct avg record low F = 33.7
|Nov avg record low F = 32.0
|Dec avg record low F = 28.7
|year avg record low F = 25.4
|Jan record low F = 19
|Feb record low F = 18
|Mar record low F = 20
|Apr record low F = 23
|May record low F = 27
|Jun record low F = 28
|Jul record low F = 26
|Aug record low F = 28
|Sep record low F = 29
|Oct record low F = 27
|Nov record low F = 25
|Dec record low F = 21
|year record low F = 18
|precipitation colour=green
|Jan precipitation inch = 2.48
|Feb precipitation inch = 1.51
|Mar precipitation inch = 1.75
|Apr precipitation inch = 1.33
|May precipitation inch = 1.00
|Jun precipitation inch = 0.51
|Jul precipitation inch = 1.16
|Aug precipitation inch = 1.50
|Sep precipitation inch = 1.36
|Oct precipitation inch = 1.16
|Nov precipitation inch = 1.78
|Dec precipitation inch = 2.01
|year precipitation inch = 17.55
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 4
|Feb precipitation days = 5
|Mar precipitation days = 6
|Apr precipitation days = 5
|May precipitation days = 4
|Jun precipitation days = 3
|Jul precipitation days = 4
|Aug precipitation days = 5
|Sep precipitation days = 5
|Oct precipitation days = 5
|Nov precipitation days = 5
|Dec precipitation days = 4
|year precipitation days = 55
|Jan snow inch = 0.0
|Feb snow inch = 1.0
|Mar snow inch = 0.3
|Apr snow inch = 1.3
|May snow inch = 0.0
|Jun snow inch = 0.0
|Jul snow inch = 0.0
|Aug snow inch = 0.0
|Sep snow inch = 0.0
|Oct snow inch = 0.0
|Nov snow inch = 0.0
|Dec snow inch = 1.0
|year snow inch = 3.7
|source 1 = [[NOAA]]<ref name= NOAA/><ref name=NCEI>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00516198&format=pdf
|title = Station: Mauna Loa Slope OBS 39, Hawaii
|work = U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1981–2010)
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|access-date = September 13, 2021
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211203224150/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00516198&format=pdf
|archive-date = 2021-12-03}}</ref>
|source 2 = Western Climate Center (precipitation and snow 1955–2005)<ref>{{cite web|work=MAUNA LOA SLOPE OBS, HAWAII|title=Period of Record Monthly Climate Summary|url=http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?himaun|publisher=NOAA|access-date=September 13, 2021}}</ref>}}
{{Graph:Weather monthly history
| table=ncei.noaa.gov/weather/Mauna Loa.tab
| title=Mauna Loa monthly weather statistics}}