Opening Day

2009-05-18 04:58:19.000 – Mike Carmon,  Observer and Meteorologist

The First of Many

So now for a follow-up to my comment of a few days ago…

The summit and auto road are officially open! Despite some winds that were a bit stronger than expected, and some intermittent fog that rolled in a little bit earlier than we anticipated, we had many visitors on the summit for the first day of the season on Saturday. In fact, later in the afternoon, rain moved in, giving any remaining visitors a refreshing shower, Mt. Washington style (which on this particular day consisted of 40-50 mph winds, moderate rain, and a soupy, wet fog).

This can serve as a good lesson to all those who plan to venture to the summit this season. It is always the best idea to check on the weather before you make any definitive plans. However, the weather can baffle even those of us who are up here for a week at a time and observe this vivid weather constantly. So, always be prepared for unexpected and dramatic changes! (For more on this, check out this week’s Obscast)

Lastly, have you ever wondered who the lucky first soul was that climbed the auto road in their vehicle during a particular season? Well, we have photographic evidence for you this year, pictured above, of the first car to make the 8-mile journey to the pinnacle of the northeastern US for the summer of 2009. Is it you?

Mike Carmon,  Observer and Meteorologist