Abnormal Wx?

2008-09-29 17:08:47.000 – Mike Carmon,  Summit Intern

A little clearing in the middle of a foggy week

The weather around here has been fairly warm (by our standards) recently. The daily high broke 50 degrees Thursday-Sunday. The almanac shows a normal high of about 37 for these days.

Hurricane Kyle gave Maine a scare, placing the state’s coast in a Hurricane Watch for the first time in 17 years.

Mt. Washington has yet to see snow this season. Generally the summit will see its first couple of inches in September. October is less than 36 hours away.

This past Thursday, the winds dropped to 1 mph sustained just after midnight on the summit.

I just completed a forecast for the summits, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the winds dropped to near calm again Tuesday morning.

These are just some interesting facts to digest. I’m not screaming “global warming” or anything. There is no need. As being on this mountain for only three weeks has showed me, weather has a mind completely its own. It’s one that we’ll never fully understand. I should additionally say that this mountain has quite a mind of its own as well. I’ve heard it before, and I’m certainly beginning to understand it.

If you were wondering about the effects that Kyle had on us, they were fairly minimal. The winds just about kicked up to tropical storm force on the summit last night as it passed, and it did keep us in the rain until late last night. We had been in the rain and fog for most of the week prior to Kyle’s passage, so the conditions brought about by his side-swipe did not feel all that remarkable. Skies finally began to partially clear out this morning, generating some notable scenery that I was able to capture (see above).

In any event, the forecast models are showing high temperatures diving back into the 30s in a few days.

Kyle’s center passed well east of Maine, and is now history.

Winds picked back up to 40 mph Sunday night.

After tomorrow’s stint of calm winds, they will increase once more.

Things have a way of balancing themselves out—even the weather on Mt. Washington.

Late night update: Here are some pics and a video that Brian took of tonights sunset. It was a total undercast around the summit. Enjoy! (Updated by: Ryan Knapp, Staff Meteorologist)

 

Mike Carmon,  Summit Intern