Mount Washington Observatory Observer Blog
My Fear of Weather Became a Love of Meteorology
My Fear of Weather Became a Love of Meteorology By Kaitlin Farrell Hello! My name is Kaitlin Farrell. I am one of the fall summit interns here at Mount Washington Observatory. I recently graduated from the State University of New York at Oswego with my BS in Meteorology and a minor in Mathematics. I was born in Canadaigua, NY, but have lived in North Syracuse, NY, my whole life. Hiking at Cathedral Ledge State Park on Sept. 11, 2026. Growing up, I was terrified of tornadoes and such storms reaching New York State. Any gust of wind would send
Ascending with High Winds
Ascending with High Winds By Alonso Lopez Hi! I am Alonso Lopez, one of four interns at Mount Washington Observatory from August to December, 2026. I was born and raised in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in Texas. In 25 years, I have only managed to visit 4 US States, yet, in only a week, for the drive up to Mount Washington, I over tripled that count to 13 states! Here I am measuring winds at the summit on my first week. Winds were at 43 mph here. As a child, I was drawn toward spinny objects and had a
150 Years of the Appalachian Mountain Club
150 Years of the Appalachian Mountain Club Drew Bush, MWOBS Executive Director, left, celebrates the AMC's 150th anniversary on July 31, 2026, with Nicole Zussman, AMC President and Chief Executive Officer, second from left, and many AMC staff, Trustees, and partners. By Peter Crane This year marks the 150th birthday of one of the Observatory’s summit partners, the Appalachian Mountain Club. AMC (or as it used to be known, the A.M.C) was founded in 1876, and is still going strong, a century and a half later. As revealed in the earliest pages of the Club’s principal publication, Appalachia Journal
26th Annual Seek the Peak Recap
26th Annual Seek the Peak Recap By Drew Bush Members of the "Peak Potential" team gather at Pinkham Notch before hiking Mount Washington for the 26th Annual Seek the Peak. View more images. We’ve had another incredibly successful Seek the Peak event this past July. Mount Washington Observatory’s 26th Annual Seek the Peak soared past its goal of $260,000, raising more than $293,000 thanks to the tireless efforts of 592 hikers. An inspiring 242 hikers joined us for the first time. We couldn’t be more grateful to everyone who took part for helping us to accomplish this incredible outcome. Your
Seek the Peak Spotlight: The Cloud Chasers
Seek the Peak Spotlight: The Cloud Chasers By MWOBS Staff Mike Bergeron and Desiree Bolton have been participating and volunteering for Seek the Peak for three years now. Together, they comprise Team Cloud Chasers for the Observatory’s annual fundraiser, and you can count on them to deliver smiles and positivity both on the trail and under the event tent. We recently connected with Mike and Desiree to see what sparked their interest in the Observatory. “We both have always loved experiencing weather and the study of,” shared Mike. “It was the -109 event that opened the door for our
Celebrating 250 Years: The Declaration’s Legacy in the White Mountains
Celebrating 250 Years: The Declaration's Legacy in the White Mountains By Peter Crane We are now approaching July Fourth, Independence Day, the day when we celebrate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. A noteworthy day for a noteworthy document, which had such significance for what became our nation. It's always worth taking another look at that document, given its significance in 1776, a significance which indeed reverberates even today. If you take a look at the signers of that document, you might note some familiar names, which brings us to this question: Which signers of the
Seek the Peak Spotlight: Ryan Shepard
Seek the Peak Spotlight: Ryan Shepard By MWOBS Staff Before Ryan Shepard moved to Conway, he was in Western New York celebrating his 40th birthday party. “I wanted to go big,” he said. “Big” meant setting up a fundraiser for a local pitbull rescue foundation. He booked a restaurant and music venue, lined up three breweries and two distilleries, organized a silent auction and walked away having raised over $1,300. Not your typical 40th birthday bash, but Shepard was spending the day doing what he loves. That was four years ago. Soon after, Shepard moved to Conway to take
From Florida Heat to the Rockpile
From Florida Heat to the Rockpile By Alek Libby Hi everyone! My name is Alek Libby, and I am one of the summit interns here at Mount Washington Observatory this summer! I recently graduated from Florida State University with a B.S. in Meteorology, and after spending the past several years in Florida, living on the summit has been a pretty dramatic change for me. I am originally from Minnesota, but I moved to Florida when I was 11. Even after years of heat, humidity, and sweating immediately after walking outside, I have always preferred colder weather. Also, I have
Summit Summer
Summit Summer By Aspen M. Hello everyone! My name is Aspen, I’m one of the summer weather interns here at the Mount Washington Observatory. I fell in love with weather at a young age after I watched a hailstorm decimate my mom’s vegetable garden. Such a simple yet tragic event really set off my infatuation with learning how the world works in quite a literal sense. Five-year-old me would be in awe seeing that I became a meteorologist and now pursue what I truly love. It feels like a dream getting to work at the location of some of
From the Sunshine State to the Home of the World’s Weather
From the Sunshine State to the Home of the World's Weather By Kristen Mihalcik Hello Everyone! My name is Kristen Mihalcik, and I’m one of the Summer interns here at Mount Washington. Enjoying one of many sunsets on the summit. Just a little bit about myself: I spent the first 18 years of my life in Connecticut, but migrated South to Florida, where I spent the next four years of my life attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach. One of my proudest accomplishments thus far was graduating in May 2026 with a Bachelor of Science in
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