​​Lucky climbers see snowfall on Mount Kinabalu for first time in 29 years

Climbers who made it near the peak of Mount Kinabalu on Monday (Feb 28) morning were not just rewarded with a magnificent view of Borneo, Malaysia, and its surrounding areas.

They were also treated to a rare sight — snowfall on the 4,095m-tall mountain. 

Videos started circulating on social media on the same day, surprising many in Malaysia and beyond.

Hajiri Sulumin, a mountain guide of 11 years, told Bernama that the snow started falling at 7.18am. It lasted for about two to three minutes. 

"At that time, I was at the Sayat-Sayat checkpoint and snow fell right to the top. It was snowy, like a light drift (of partially melting snowflakes) unlike heavy ice pellets," the 47-year-old said. 

Hajiri added that he had previously seen ice particles forming on the mountain in 2018.

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/MountainTorqGroup/videos/1691326827881500/[/embed]

While snow phenomenon is rare, it can happen in high altitude places such as Mount Kinabalu, according to the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia).

Muhammad Helmi Abdullah, the director-general of MetMalaysia said: "Conditions of sub-zero weather or when the wind hangs, can contribute to the formation of snow, a phenomenon that we rarely see but it can happen."

The last snowfall on Mount Kinabalu was recorded in 1993. 

Justinus Guntabid, the assistant director of Kinabalu Park, said that those who caught the snow today "can count themselves lucky". 

"The average temperature in Panalaban from 2am to 10am today was about 6.9 to 12.3 degrees Celsius. It seems that today is colder than usual", he said. 

@ivnurjonns #salji #GunungKinabalu #fyp #malimgunungkinabalu ♬ original sound - IvnurJonn S

chingshijie@asiaone.com