*Event Update: Due to inclement weather expected on the summit of Mount Washington, we have decided to move our Oct. 15 Founding Day open house to the Observatory’s Administrative Building, located at 2779 White Mountain Highway in North Conway, NH.
Tours of our summit weather station will not be offered on Oct. 15. We have made this decision in the interest of safety for our guests, staff, and volunteers. Thank you for understanding!
We invite you to stop by our office in North Conway on Tuesday, Oct. 15 for the open house from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, and to enjoy a presentation at 1:00 PM by Dr. Peter Crane, Observatory Curator. The Observatory’s Gladys Brooks Memorial Library will be open from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
Light refreshments will be provided. Please enter through the front of our building.
On October 15, 1932, Bob Monahan, Sal Pagliuca, Alex MacKenzie, and Joe Dodge set up a permanent presence on the summit. Using funds obtained from a research grant and a few private donors, the Mount Washington Observatory was formally established, with a mission of advancing the understanding of weather, climate, and the mountain itself.
Just two years later, on April 12, 1934, the Observatory captured what was then the fastest surface wind speed ever observed by man, at 231 mph. This thrust Mount Washington into the spotlight and highlighted the value in having a mountaintop weather station.
Due to their steadfast dedication and the Observatory staff that followed, this mountaintop weather station remains a unique operation staffed 365 days a year and proudly maintains one of the longest running climate records in North America. Today, we continue to gather, disseminate and analyze daily weather data; to contribute to the critical, long-term weather and climate record essential to scientific understanding of weather and climate in a unique, extreme environment. Here’s to approaching our 92nd anniversary, and many more to come!
While we at the Observatory are extremely proud to celebrate our history, it is only a fraction of what makes the day so special. None of it would have been possible without the support of our members! Thank you to everyone who has had a hand in making the Observatory what it is today, we genuinely couldn’t do it without you!
Food and refreshments made possible by our generous sponsors at Cabot Creamery Cooperative.
