Stories of Impact
From Everest to Aconcagua: Instrument Innovation Across Continents
From Everest to Aconcagua: Instrument Innovation Across Continents By Ellen Estabrook On February 18, 2025, a team of climbers and scientists summited Aconcagua – the highest mountain in the western and southern hemisphere – and installed a weather station a few meters from the top, at 22,769 feet, or 6,940 meters above sea level. Climatologist, professor, and National Geographic Explorer Dr. Baker Perry co-led the expedition with a Mount Washington Observatory (MWOBS) pitot anemometer—and other instruments supplied by partners—in tow. The goal: to deploy five observation sites on the mountain to better understand water availability in the Andes Centrales,
Celebrating Volunteer Community Builders: The Zlogars
Celebrating Volunteer Community Builders: The Zlogars By Wendy Almeida For the past 20 years, Mike and Sue Zlogar have dedicated countless volunteer hours to Mount Washington Observatory (MWOBS). Their contributions, from repair projects to cooking family-style meals, have touched every corner of summit life. Their love for the Observatory and the people they've met along the way lies at the heart of everything they do. For the last decade, they've also delivered a special gift each year -- the annual summit Christmas tree -- bringing holiday spirit to staff during the season. Mike (left) and Sue on the
Managing Risk in the Mountains with the Higher Summits Forecast
Managing Risk in the Mountains with the Higher Summits Forecast By Carissa Milliman A group of hikers trek along the open ridges of the White Mountains. Joe Klementovich photo. With more and more people visiting the White Mountains each year to experience the expansive network of wilderness and enjoy the abundance of recreational opportunities, the ability to easily access an accurate weather forecast is more crucial than ever. Weather patterns change unexpectedly, dramatically, and quickly. Being prepared means checking the Higher Summits Forecast often and prior to setting out on any adventure. The process of forecasting and
Peak Perspectives: Professional Development on Mount Washington
Peak Perspectives: Professional Development on Mount Washington By MWOBS Staff As the Mount Washington Observatory (MWOBS) Education team heads into a new year and a busy second half of the school calendar, we are excited to highlight not only the expansion of programs offered to youth both in the academic year and in the summer, but also professional learning opportunities for educators. To start, K-12 programs for students and teachers have grown to offer more than 76 school day, 41 after-school, and 25 field trips serving over 4,800 students in 2024. To complement these, we were excited to offer
Mesonet Expansion Advances Weather Monitoring Capabilities in Northern New England
Mesonet Expansion Advances Weather Monitoring Capabilities in Northern New England By Ellen Estabrook The new Skyline Mesonet Station (elevation 5,600') is shown with the Observatory tower in the background. Photo by Charlie Peachey. Five new remote weather monitoring stations went live November 21 along the Mount Washington Cog Railway, on the western side of New England’s highest peak. The expansion of the Mount Washington Regional Mesonet (MWRM) kicks off a broader project to enhance weather monitoring in the White Mountains and across New Hampshire. During the next four years, 11 original stations in the MWRM will be
2023-24 Education Programs Recap: Inspiring Future Meteorologists
2023-24 Education Programs Recap: Inspiring Future Meteorologists By MWOBS Education Staff The academic year of 2023-2024 has ended, and with it, MWOBS’ education team has experienced our biggest year of growth— both programming and staffing-wise— yet. Seasonal AmeriCorps Educator Emily Veh and School Programs Coordinator Jackie Bellefontaine (also a former summit intern turned weather observer) started off the year strong with a backpack giveaway to over 800 middle school students across the White Mountains and Western Maine. These Cotopaxi backpacks also included weather kits, cloud charts, and additional educational materials for each student: See Story of Impact here. Moving into
Citizen CATE Q+A with State Coordinator Jackie Bellefontaine
Citizen CATE Q+A with State Coordinator Jackie Bellefontaine By MWOBS Staff On April 8th the moon passes between the Sun and the Earth and will completely block out the sun in portions of the United States, including northern New England, creating a rare spectacle that won’t be seen again in our region until 2079. While the summit of Mount Washington won’t be in the path of totality, we are excited to have our School Programs Coordinator Jackie Bellefontaine serve as a state coordinator for the NASA-funded Citizen Continental-America Telescope Eclipse (CATE) experiment that brings together 35 teams of local
Information Integrity and the Importance of Metadata
Information Integrity and the Importance of Metadata By MWOBS Staff Climatology, or climate science, is the study of Earth's climate by “recording and analyzing weather patterns throughout the world and understanding the atmospheric conditions that cause them” (National Geographic Society, 2023). Climatological records typically refer to periods of 30 years; new climate averages are calculated every three decades based on these records. It is here that the accurate documentation and dissemination of data is an integral piece of not only maintaining a clear picture of the past, but also better understanding implications for the future (for instance, when looking at
Mountain Forecasting and Its Applications to Avalanche Safety and Search & Rescue
Mountain Forecasting and Its Applications to Avalanche Safety and Search & Rescue By MWOBS Staff The White Mountains are renowned for adventure and extreme weather. Specialized weather information like the Higher Summits Forecast helps search and rescue teams, avalanche experts, and the outdoor community at-large anticipate weather and make safe decisions. With nearly 800,000 acres of White Mountain National Forest land surrounding the summit of Mount Washington, search and rescue units and scientists performing mountain weather and avalanche forecasting are paramount to the safety of recreationalists and professionals in the region, especially in the winter months. A recent avalanche
In-School Visits Inspire Future Weather Scientists
In-School Visits Inspire Future Weather Scientists By MWOBS Staff 2023 has been a pivotal year for educational programs at the Mount Washington Observatory (MWOBS). “This year, we’ve seen explosive growth both in the interest in our programming, and also in the programs we’ve developed here,” Brian Fitzgerald, Director of Education, explains. These programs have included spring field trips, summer camp programs, after-school, virtual learning, and in-school programs featuring backpack and weather instrument giveaways. The excitement generated by the in-school visits and giveaways was of particular note to Jackie Bellefontaine, who headed the program this season. “With a mission to support
