Temperature:      Wind Speed:      Gust:      Wind Chill:      Direction:    Switch to Metric

Temperature:

Wind Speed:      Gust:

Wind Chill:      Direction:
   Switch to Metric

Mount Washington Observatory

Citizen Science Puts Weather Reporting in Your Hands

A distant shower falls over Mount Martha, NH (aka, Cherry Mountain). 
If you’re anything like me, you probably have an app or two dedicated to weather on your phone. Maybe you have a preferred app for weather forecasts, another for radar data, and yet another for satellite data. Or maybe instead of apps, you have several go-to websites bookmarked for various weather data.
Weather information keeps us informed so that we can prepare appropriately for the weather ahead, short-term or long-term. With colder weather in the forecast, we might pack a few extra layers or pull in a few more logs for the stove. Or, we might receive a warning about a severe storm heading your direction, and so we pack up, head indoors, and keep an eye on its progress.
While your favorite apps or websites might be providing you with weather data, did you know there are a few apps/sites that you can utilize and provide current weather data to aid in research as a citizen scientist?
Here are some apps that I have on my phone and might be of interest to you:
Mountain Rain or Snow
Remote sensing is improving and aiding in filling weather data gaps. However, precipitation phase changes can be difficult over mountainous terrain, and weather stations only provide information at a static location. That is where human observations aid in detailing how precipitation phase changes vary in time and space. Using these apps, with a few taps you can send observations of precipitation during storms at your location.
Forecasting
NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory is collecting weather reports through the free app mPING. What’s “mPING?” It is an acronym for Meteorological Phenomena Identification Near the Ground. The data in turn help define the precipitation that is falling at your location and improve forecasts and radar techniques. That in turn filters down to improve those various other weather apps you might be using for forecasts and radar data.
Cloud Types and Sky Conditions 
GLOBE Observer Clouds can be used to observe clouds, mosquito habitats, land cover, and trees. With the cloud observation aspect, you can help document cloud cover, cloud types, cloud opacity, sky conditions, visibilities, and surface conditions along with photographic examples. It is a bit more involved than the prior reporting apps, but with a few taps and snaps, you can contribute your real-world observations for better understanding and interpretation of satellite data vs surface data.

Ryan Knapp, Weather Observer & Meteorologist

2812, 2015

A Decade Of Observing Mount Washington’s Weather

December 28th, 2015|Categories: Historical Posts|

A Decade Of Observing Mount Washington's Weather 2015-12-28 15:33:27.000 - Ryan Knapp, Weather Observer/Staff Meteorologist   Ten years ago to this day (December 28, 2005), I started working at the Mount Washington Observatory. I started as an intern but a month or so after arriving as an

Read More
2512, 2015

A “Summitized” Christmas Carol

December 25th, 2015|Categories: Historical Posts|

A "Summitized" Christmas Carol 2015-12-25 05:49:47.000 - Ryan Knapp, Weather Observer/Staff Meteorologist   Over the years I have done “summitized” parodies of Christmas stories/songs and this year is no exception. In the past, I did a parody on the poem/song “The 12 Days of Christmas” titled “The

Read More
2312, 2015

Don’t Panic Yet! Our Memory is Short!

December 23rd, 2015|Categories: Historical Posts|

Don't Panic Yet! Our Memory is Short! 2015-12-23 07:43:52.000 - Ed Bergeron, Weather Discovery Center   Today’s weather blog comes from the MWO headquarters in North Conway, where most of us live anyway. Last week there was a meeting in our conference room presented by the League

Read More

Share This Post

Support Us

Mount Washington Observatory is a nonprofit research and educational institution working to advance understanding of Earth’s weather and climate.

We cannot do this without your support!

Weather 101 Workshop

April 30th, 2015|Comments Off on Weather 101 Workshop

Weather 101 Workshop 2015-04-30 15:33:57.000 - Mike Carmon, Co-Director of Summit Operations   How does weather impact wildlife in the White Mountains? What cloud type is that? How do meteorologists forecast the weather? What forces

Things Seem To Have Gone Backwards

April 29th, 2015|Comments Off on Things Seem To Have Gone Backwards

Things Seem To Have Gone Backwards 2015-04-29 17:04:32.000 - Michael Kyle, Weather Observer/IT Specialist   After some extra days off the summit to report for jury duty back in New Jersey, I am back on

January Conditions in Late April?

April 28th, 2015|Comments Off on January Conditions in Late April?

January Conditions in Late April? 2015-04-28 00:27:04.000 - Mike Dorfman, Weather Observer/IT Specialist   We’ve been in the fog for almost a week now, and I’m starting to go a bit stir-crazy. With over 14

Find Older Posts

Mount Washington Observatory is a private, nonprofit, member-supported institution with a mission to advance understanding of the natural systems that create Earth’s weather and climate. It serves this mission by maintaining a weather station on the summit of Mount Washington, performing weather and climate research, conducting innovative science education programs, and interpreting the heritage of the Mount Washington region. Our weather station is located  on the summit of Mount Washington  in New Hampshire, at Mount Washington State Park.

© Copyright 2026 | Mount Washington Observatory | All Rights Reserved | 603-356-2137

Did you know you can text ‘weather’ and ‘forecast’ to 603-356-2137 for current weather and conditions?
Alternatively, you can enable our Historical Weather Alexa Skill, or our Alexa Flash Briefing Audio forecast.

Go to Top