Mountains and Meteorology: What More Could a Girl Need?

By Emily Grainger

Hi everyone! My name is Emily Grainger, and I am one of this fall’s Summit Interns atop Mount Washington! I’m from Orlando, Florida, and earlier this year I graduated from Florida State University with my Bachelor’s degree in meteorology and minor in mathematics. I’ve lived in Florida my whole life, so I was ready for a change of scenery. This internship has been a long-time dream of mine and I’m so happy to be here!

Exploring the Kancamagus Highway on my off-week.

My interest in weather stemmed from watching thunderstorms and hurricanes roll in from my backyard growing up (unfortunately, my parents kept me inside for the worst storms). I didn’t understand why people often said that talking about the weather was boring – to me it was so captivating. My interests became fixated on severe storms, specifically tornadoes, which my parents found funny as I had absolutely zero experience with them living in Florida. Even when we do get tornadoes as a product of hurricanes or a nasty cold front, they’re usually fairly weak, and don’t cause much damage – at least not enough for me to be terrified they’d blow my house down.

Sunset on the summit of Mount Washington just before a recent Nor’easter hit.

Once I was old enough to start thinking about my future, I realized that being obsessed with weather didn’t have to be just a hobby, and that I could turn it into a career. It was an obvious choice for me, so I began my plan to major in meteorology in college; I can proudly say that after many all-nighters studying for exams and tears over Quasi-Geostrophic theory, I graduated back in May.

A graduation photo from FSU’s Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science building.

Aside from meteorology, my other great passion is the outdoors, particularly the mountains; my parents have taken me up to the Appalachian Mountains in Tennessee almost every summer for as long as I can remember. Some of my fondest memories are from hiking with my dad or swimming in mountain lakes with my mom and younger sister. I love being outside when it’s not 95 degrees out with 80% humidity! Mountains have become a very special place for me, and though I don’t discriminate, the Appalachians will always be my favorite.

Here’s a photo from a recent hike. I haven’t had the chance to summit the whole mountain yet, but I want to!

When I first caught wind (haha) of this internship while I was in college, I immediately knew I would do whatever it took to make it up here to Mount Washington. Not only would I get to live on top of a mountain for three months, but specifically the mountain infamous for the world’s worst weather! It was as if someone had reached into my brain and custom-designed a job for me. I was ecstatic when I received the email that I had been selected for this fall, after applying once before for the previous summer. Even now, on my third shift, my life still doesn’t feel real!

Atop the observatory’s instrument tower, AKA the highest spot in New England!

Forecasting is one of my main interests within meteorology, despite my lack of real-world experience, so I was eager for this opportunity to properly learn. I’m already creating and publishing my own forecasts, including radio segments for Vermont and New Hampshire, as well as our Higher Summits forecast on our website! I’m also in the process of developing my first research project, which focuses on thunderstorm activity in the White Mountains. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to learn and develop my skills under the very talented mentors up here at the observatory, and I’m so excited to see what the rest of the season will bring (other than snow, of course!).