Changing attitudes with changing seasons
2010-12-13 17:44:36.000 – Brian Clark, Observer and Meteorologist
NULL
The weather on the summit over the last couple of days has gotten me thinking about how it’s funny (not so much in a ‘haha’ sort of way) the way my attitude towards the weather changes along with the seasons. Although I pay a good deal of attention to the weather and current weather patterns year-round, during the non-skiing months (known as summer, and part of each shoulder season to most folks) I don’t watch the long range nearly as much as I do during the skiing months. More importantly, I don’t get upset when I see rain or unseasonably warm temperatures coming during the non-skiing months. Sure, there are exceptions to this if, for example, I’ve planned a weekend to do some paddling on the Saco. During the skiing months however, I genuinely get frustrated with our dear friend Mother Nature when, for example, it pours rain and is in the mid 30’s in the middle of December like it did last night.
In these situations, I try to take an ‘it is what it is’ sort of approach, as I do with a lot of things in life. I also tend to be a realist, and the reality of the situation is that I live in New England, and sometimes it rains in the middle of winter in New England. Maybe someday I’ll live in a place that it snows reliably all winter long.
In the mean time, cold air has returned to the summit and so the snow that I love so dearly. We should continue to see on-and-off snowfall over the next few days, and hopefully that will make the memories of this latest warm, wet storm fade quickly as we move into the heart of the winter season on the mountain.
Observer note: Also as we move more into winter, so too do we move into EduTrip and DayTrip season! If you’ve always wanted to experience Mount Washington during its most extreme, and most beautiful time of year, these trips are your chance. Don’t forget about our very special New Year’s Eve EduTrip. There are only a few spots still available for that trip, so act fast!
Brian Clark, Observer and Meteorologist
Seek the Peak 2026: New Adventures, Rooted in Tradition
Seek the Peak 2026: New Adventures, Rooted in Tradition By MWOBS Staff Seek the Peak is Mount Washington Observatory's largest annual fundraiser, and for 26 years it's brought together hikers, adventurers, and people who
What “Prepared” Really Means in the White Mountains
What “Prepared” Really Means in the White Mountains Early Spring in the Whites: The Most Honest Season By Andrew Harris, Burgeon Outdoor If you’ve spent any time in New Hampshire’s White Mountains in March,
March on Mount Washington
March on Mount Washington By Ryan Knapp Looking towards Mt. Madison at sunset on March 21, 2026. The calendar has spoken: Friday, 20 March 2026, marked the first day of astronomical spring.
