Saying Goodbye to the Summit

By Alexis George

After an extraordinary last three years working as a Weather Observer and Meteorologist, I am excited to pursue a different career. As sad I as am to be leaving the Observatory, I look back at my time as a Weather Observer and Meteorologist fondly. I am deeply grateful for the meteorological skills and experiences that I have gained while working at Mount Washington Observatory.

I can tell you right off the bat that the extreme weather was one of my favorite parts about working as a Weather Observer at Mount Washington. I enjoyed it all, from sledding down giant snow drifts at the summit, to 100+ mph winds, extreme (and all time tied record low) cold of -47F, lenticulars, awesome sunsets/sunrises, and much more. I’ll look back on the weather I got to experience, especially during my last two weeks as an observer. I’ll especially remember the last glimpse of the northern lights that I got at the summit on 6/2, and it came out even better in the photos!

Photo by Charlie Peachey

A photo of game night on the summit (featuring Nimbus!)

A cake from the crew on my last day (inside joke).

As much as I enjoyed the extreme weather at Mount Washington, I have also had a great time working with fellow observers and other staff members atop of Mount Washington. While it is a unique situation living at an isolated mountaintop, I was always paired with fun and hardworking crew members. Some of my favorite parts about the unique living situation were the many dinner table conversations and evening hangouts, specifically playing Catan (especially when I won), Mario Kart and Super Mario. (P.S. Let it be known that Alex and I beat Super Mario on 6/12/2025. It only took us like three years to beat the entire game, but we actually did it Alex!)

By the fall season, I’ll be returning to college to pursue a degree in Radiology Technology. It’ll probably feel like quite a jump from a career in Meteorology to that of Healthcare, but I am thrilled to begin the next chapter in my career path. As my final week comes to a close, I would like to thank the Mount Washington Observatory crew for a great last few years. I wish my shift members Alex, Charlie, Corbin, and the current summer interns the best with their future endeavors at the Observatory!

Alexis on the summit with the Northern Presidentials in the background.

More Blog Posts by Alexis

Dear Self, Mount Washington has a lot to Teach You

A Glimpse at METAR Reports

A Look at The Big Wind and Measuring Extreme Winds at Mount Washington

The First Severe Heat of the Year Sweeps Across the Midwest and Northeast