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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

2802, 2023

February Newsletter: A Storm for the Record Books

February 28th, 2023|Categories: Newsletters|

This Feb. 4 sunrise time lapse was captured not long after our weather observers measured an actual temperature of -47° F, matching the Observatory's record low set in 1934, despite wind chill values approaching -110°F. View video. Dear Member, The beginning of February was one for the record

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1602, 2023

Brutal Cold on Mount Washington: A Weather Story

February 16th, 2023|Categories: Observer Blog|

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 up on the summit multiple times – once as a tourist, once

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Fifteen Years of Observing Mount Washington’s Weather

March 8th, 2021|Comments Off on Fifteen Years of Observing Mount Washington’s Weather

Fifteen Years of Observing Mount Washington's Weather 2021-03-08 20:17:38.000 - Ryan Knapp, Observer/Staff Meteorologist   Just over fifteen years ago (December 28, 2005), I started working at the Mount Washington Observatory. I started as an

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February 22nd, 2021|Comments Off on Behind the Scientist

Behind the Scientist 2021-02-22 12:07:42.000 - Nicole Tallman, Weather Observer/Education Specialist   Through outreach programs and talking to family and friends I realize there is a stigma behind being a scientist, that we are solely

On the Etymology of Cloud Names

February 16th, 2021|Comments Off on On the Etymology of Cloud Names

On the Etymology of Cloud Names 2021-02-16 07:16:46.000 - Nate Iannuccillo, Weather Observer/Education Specialist    This past weekend we got to observe an abundance of high clouds in the sky, with a thin layer of

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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.

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