OUR Malaysia is very hot, lah! Wouldn't it be nice if we had snow here? In a hot season like the one we are experiencing now, we can't help but wish that our country had four seasons and that it would snow.
But as unlikely as it may sound, has it ever snowed in Malaysia?
Verdict:
TRUE
Malaysia is located in the equatorial region, where it experiences a tropical rainforest climate with temperatures staying above 20 degrees Celsius all year round.
Although higher altitude areas may experience temperatures that dip to as low as 7.8 degrees Celsius, that's still too high to snow.
But that doesn't mean that it has never happened.
Throughout our recorded history, there's not one, not two, but four times in recent history that our country experienced snow - with the latest taking place just last year!
On Feb 28, 2022, dozens of lucky climbers on Mount Kinabalu experienced this rare phenomenon around the summit at about 7am when the general temperature was recorded to be between 6.9 and 12 degrees Celsius.
Kinabalu Park deputy director Justinus Guntapid said the climbers were treated to the extraordinary sight that lasted between two and three minutes.
It was not the first time that Mount Kinabalu records mentioned similar incidents in 2018, 1993 and 1975.
It was reported that the snowing incident in 1993 and 1975 had accumulated to a depth of 10mm.
"There might have been more incidents, but they were unrecorded as they may have happened during hours when no one was in the summit area," Guntapid added.
Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) director-general Muhammad Helmi Abdullah also confirmed the weather phenomenon as snow, based on the location's altitude and low temperature.
Temperatures at the summit can drop to as low as 0 degrees Celsius to 3 degrees Celsius, and it is not uncommon for frost and ice sheets to form across the surface.
But only when both the humidity and temperature reached just the right levels, would you be able to see snow form.
Although it's unlikely that you'll ever experience snow in your backyard, there are other alternatives, albeit artificial, on ways to experience the weather phenomenon at several tourist spots in the country.
So even in Malaysia, there is no excuse not to entertain your sister when she asks you, "Do you want to build a snowman?"
References:
1. https://www.mountkinabalu.com/
3. facebook.com/watch/?v=
4. https://www.thestar.com.my/
