cold weather

2008-11-04 06:40:17.000 – Jeff Wehrwein,  Summit Intern

Snowy sunrise Friday

This week has been the coldest I have seen yet. We arrived on the summit last Wednesday with temperatures around 10 degrees, and they did not climb above freezing until yesterday afternoon. Also, from our arrival through Sunday, the wind was typically in the 60s and did not drop below 40 mph for more than a few minutes. On Sunday morning the temperature dropped to 2 degrees above zero, something I would consider unusual for November were I not on top of Mount Washington. Ironically, Sunday was also the warmest day we had – the temperature climbed to 20 degrees and the winds finally calmed as the day progressed, making for great hiking conditions as Jordan mentioned yesterday.

The average temperature for November is 21 degrees and the average wind speed for the month is 40 mph, so this weather is not unusual. As of yesterday afternoon, we have swung back to the other side of the average with the temperature rising above freezing. In combination with the dense fog that engulfed the summit around the same time, much of the snow has melted and evaporated away. What is left is very slushy and slippery, and when the fog lifts (hopefully later today), we may see a much rockier landscape than before. The long-term forecast foretells the arrival of the good weather shift tomorrow – above-freezing temperatures accompanied by light winds are predicted for the remainder of this week.

Jeff Wehrwein,  Summit Intern