Getting a Break from the Heat

2011-07-21 16:35:36.000 – Brian Clark,  Observer / Educational Specialist

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There are pros and cons with getting a break from the summer heat by living on the top of Mount Washington for 8 days at a time. The pros are obvious: not having to deal with excessive heat like most of the country has seen recently. Of course, my idea of excessive heat is anything over 80 degrees. The cons: how hot even 80 degrees in the valley feels after getting used to the 40’s and 50’s during a typical summer time shift on the mountain.

For me the pros vastly outweigh the cons, and at this particular moment, I couldn’t be happier to be away from the heat wave in the valley, where my apartment does not have air conditioning. Luckily as one ‘observant’ tourist pointed out in a rather boisterous manner on the observation deck a few years ago: ‘Air conditionin’s free up ‘ere!’.

Tomorrow promises to be the warmest day of the heat wave, with highs expected in the upper 60’s. That will be close to the daily record for July 22nd of 68 degrees, but shouldn’t challenge our all-time record high of 72 degrees set back in August of 1975 and then tied in June of 2003.

So if you’re looking for your own break from the heat, come on up the Mount Washington Auto Road, the Cog Railway, or there’s always hiking!

Brian Clark,  Observer / Educational Specialist