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2010-12-02 14:31:39.000 – Stacey Kawecki,  Observer and Meteorologist

Let the fun begin!

Happy December Everyone! We arrived at the summit yesterday to freezing rain and the most significant glazing event our shift has ever seen! During a normal icing event, we try to remove the large chunks of ice before they fall off the building and onto someone’s head. This time, temperature was forecast to stay cold and the ice built up far too quickly to even pretend to keep up with it! We decided to wait until winds calmed, and temperatures cooled. I avoided going outside yesterday. Thank you Steve, Mike, Jen, and Kristin for making that possible.

When Steve told me it was a complete mess outside, I believed him. However, I did not fully comprehend the extent of the mess. Maybe mess isn’t even the correct word. The phrase ‘ankle-breaking boulder-sized ice everywhere’ might be more accurate. I first went up to the parapet, which was interesting. The way the ice formed, it was pretty much impossible for anyone to climb through. Inside the parapet was like an igloo. If I sat down, I was fairly warm and completely protected from the wind. The A-frame actually reminded me of a cave, with the rime built upon the glaze looking like dogtooth spar and cave coral and stalactite-like formations coming off the building.

After over two hours of moving ice, one can actually enter the parapet the normal way, though the ice is still a little out of control. The sounds of a mallet hitting ice are reverberating through the building as Steve and the volunteers undertake the A-frame. We’ll keep you updated on our progress!

Stacey Kawecki,  Observer and Meteorologist