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

2504, 2024

2024 Total Solar Eclipse: Two Perspectives

April 25th, 2024|Categories: Observer Blog|

2024 Total Solar Eclipse: Two Perspectives By Karl Philippoff and Francis Tarasiewicz Mount Washington, New Hampshire (Francis) I got into meteorology in part, because of how the weather can, even if briefly, bring us humans together as a captive audience to its destructive majesty. From casual

Read More
1704, 2024

From Mount Washington to Antarctica

April 17th, 2024|Categories: Observer Blog|

From Mount Washington to Antarctica By Charlotte Markey What do Antarctica and the summit of Mount Washington have in common besides weather? Having worked as support staff for both locations, I can tell you there are plenty of commonalities. In fact, volunteering at “the rockpile” helped

Read More
1004, 2024

Record Gust, Human Grit: 90 Years of Big Wind

April 10th, 2024|Categories: Windswept|

Record Gust, Human Grit: 90 Years of Big Wind By Ellen Estabrook | April 10, 2024 “’Will they believe it?’ Was our first thought. I felt then the full responsibility of that startling measurement…” Salvatore Pagliuca, Weather Observer and electrical engineer, wrote those words in the

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!

Red Sky at Morning, Hikers Take Warning

March 16th, 2023|Comments Off on Red Sky at Morning, Hikers Take Warning

Red Sky at Morning, Hikers Take Warning Having grown up along the coast of Maine, there was a saying instilled in me by my parents every time I was planning to go outside for

Traditional Mount Washington Rockpile Crunch Recipe

March 4th, 2023|Comments Off on Traditional Mount Washington Rockpile Crunch Recipe

Traditional Mount Washington Rockpile Crunch Recipe Winter on top of Mount Washington means high winds, snow, and of course, lots of rime ice! Rime ice is a phenomenon that occurs when supercooled water droplets

Brutal Cold on Mount Washington: A Weather Story

February 16th, 2023|Comments Off on Brutal Cold on Mount Washington: A Weather Story

Brutal Cold on Mount Washington: A Weather Story Hello! My name is Karl Philippoff and I am a new weather observer at Mount Washington Observatory. Although I am from New Jersey, I have been

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 2025 | 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