Mount Washington Observatory Observer Blog
A Labor of Love: How Volunteers Bring the Observatory’s Gardens to Life
A Labor of Love: How Volunteers Bring the Observatory’s Gardens to Life By Wendy Almeida If you've driven past the grounds of the Mount Washington Observatory’s North Conway office in spring or summer, chances are you've admired the gardening handiwork of Bill Ofsiany and Barbara Althen. At the Observatory’s valley office, Bill and Barbara have quietly shaped the landscape with color, care, and a gardener’s determination to make each year better than the last. The front gardens of 2779 White Mountain Highway, North Conway. “We’ve been volunteering close to 20 years,” Bill says, recalling how it all
Going with the Flow: Why New England Didn’t Experience Any Classic Nor’easters This Winter
Going with the Flow: Why New England Didn’t Experience Any Classic Nor’easters This Winter By Peter Edwards Why didn’t the Northeast experience any major snowstorms this year? If I had to guess, it’s the million-dollar question that meteorologists, winter recreationists, and snow lovers alike have been asking. On paper, it looked like we had plenty of opportunities for a Nor’easter to develop. The eastern U.S. experienced several sustained intrusions of bitterly cold Arctic air during the climatological peak for snowstorms, December through February. These outbreaks were accompanied by another key ingredient: deep longwave troughs. When these troughs drop into
From Trailheads to Friendships: How 25 Years of Seek the Peak Built a Community
From Trailheads to Friendships: How 25 Years of Seek the Peak Built a Community By MWOBS Staff | April 30, 2025 From Humble Trails to Towering Triumphs In 2001, a small team with a big vision launched a hike that would change everything. Mount Washington Observatory (MWOBS) staff members created Seek the Peak—a way for outdoor enthusiasts to support mountain forecasting and weather science by doing what they love: climbing the Northeast’s tallest peak. Windswept announces 1st Annual Seek the
A Look at The Big Wind and Measuring Extreme Winds At Mount Washington
A Look at The Big Wind and Measuring Extreme Winds at Mount Washington By Alexis George Ninety-one years ago on April 12th, Mount Washington Observatory recorded a world-record wind speed of 231 mph. While a higher wind speed has been recorded elsewhere (Tropical Cyclone Olivia, Barrow Island, Australia on April 10, 1996) the Observatory’s measurement of 231 mph on April 12, 1934 still stands as the fastest wind speed ever recorded by a staffed weather station. Sea-level pressure analysis valid 9:00 a.m. EST on April 12, 1934, just hours before the 231 mph gust. A low pressure system
Once In a Lifetime Isn’t Enough
Once In a Lifetime Isn’t Enough By Bill Ofsiany A once in a lifetime experience is an over-used term. It might apply to seeing a comet that won’t be back to see for 75 years (Halley), or 80,000 years (C/2023 A3). It doesn’t apply to Mount Washington in winter. As Slim Bryant, a former Snowcat driver once told me years ago, “every time you go to the summit it’s a different mountain.” Each time you spend eight days on the summit, with the weather crew, as a summit volunteer, you get to see a little more of the moods, weather
MWOBS Weather Forecasts Expand Beyond the Higher Summits
MWOBS Weather Forecasts Expand Beyond the Higher Summits By Alex Branton One of the most utilized products provided by Mount Washington Observatory is the Higher Summits Forecast. This 48-hour forecast is written by MWOBS weather observers twice daily and is available for free on our website. The Higher Summits Forecast is incredibly unique in that it is written by meteorologists specifically for the higher elevations of New Hampshire. The White Mountains often experience extreme weather, which can be drastically different than weather at the lower elevations. This makes the Higher Summits Forecast a valuable tool for those who venture
One Down, One To Go
One Down, One to Go By Ryan Knapp On my calendar for March 2025, I had two reminders of events to look forward to in the sky. The first occurred this past week with a total lunar eclipse and for the second, that occurs on my next shift with the possibility of viewing a partial solar eclipse. For the first event, we lucked out and had nearly clear skies which allowed for viewing of the total lunar eclipse from start to finish over the night of March 13/14. For the second event, the weather cooperating and allowing for the
A Windy Start to March: A Look at Forecasting (and Battling) Category 4 Level Gusts
A Windy Start to March: A Look at Forecasting (and Battling) Category 4 Level Gusts By Charlie Peachey This winter at the Observatory has been freezing and, recently, historically windy. Just a few weeks ago, we recorded a wind gust of 161 mph and had thirty-nine consecutive hours of gusts over 100 mph. 161 mph would be windy by anyone's standards, but it also holds up to some of the most significant wind records we have ever recorded at the Observatory. In fact, it was the second-highest wind gust we have recorded on the summit since 1994, 3rd highest gust
From Intern to Educator to Observer: My Next Chapter with the Obs
From Intern to Educator to Observer: My Next Chapter with the Obs By Amy Cotter For the past year and a half, I have worked with Mount Washington Observatory in a variety of positions. My journey with the Obs began in August 2023 as a fall summit intern, after which I moved into a seasonal educator position in January 2024, followed by a permanent educator position starting June 2024, and now, come February 2025, I have completed my first full, official shift as a Weather Observer atop Mount Washington! As a summit intern, I worked a week on/week off
Bringing Supplies to Mt. Washington’s Summit
Bringing Supplies to Mt. Washington’s Summit By Jamie Boss It’s one thing to operate a weather observatory on top of Mount Washington in the worst weather in the world and another to provide a constant supply of personnel and supplies to the summit every week. On a good day, provided no plowing would be needed from the snowcat, it might take an hour and a half to reach the summit via the 8-mile auto road. Drifting snow can add another hour and a half to the summit trip. There are days when the weather is so inclement that the
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