Mount Washington Observatory Observer Blog
In the Snow Globe: Dispatches from Mount Washington
In the Snow Globe: Dispatches from Mount Washington By Marin MacDonald Hey MWOBS community, my name is Marin MacDonald (she/her), and I am the Mount Washington Observatory/Mount Washington Avalanche Center intern this winter! Growing up in New England, I spent countless hours exploring the White Mountains- from skiing, to camping, to overnight trips up to the AMC huts. On these trips up north, I dragged my parents to the Obs museum in North Conway more times than I can count, with my favorite exhibits being the live summit conditions board and the 3D interactive map. Drawn to mountain living,
100 FAQs About Being a Weather Observer on Mount Washington
100 FAQs About Being a Weather Observer on Mount Washington By Alex Branton I recently collaborated with the Education team to compile and answer the most frequently asked questions during our programs. From daily living, to instrumentation, to Nimbus the summit cat, we hope these answers help illustrate what work and life are like on the rockpile! 1. Do weather observers get paid? Yes, we are full-time hourly employees who earn pay and benefits. 2. Do observers ever get stuck on Mount Washington in bad weather? Yes. Often times during the winter, the weather is too bad for our
Just Another Fall Foliage Season at the Cog Railway
Just another Fall Foliage Season at the Cog Railway By Randall Armor| December 9, 2024 Each year, from late September thru mid-October, Mount Washington presents her best, most colorful face to the world. The onset of Autumn is always spectacularly beautiful up here, bringing with it an equally spectacular part-time migration of admirateurs du feuillage (as our friends across the northern border might politely say). The first six weeks of Fall ’24 saw an unusually dense influx of leaf-seeking out-of-towners converging on our rocky little chunk of paradise. Now, don’t get us wrong– tourism is the lifeblood of our
November 2024 by the Numbers
November 2024 by the Numbers By Ryan Knapp Nov. 2, 2024 (top) and Nov. 25, 2024 (bottom). As we head into December, it is a perfect time to look back and summarize November. If I were to use adjectives to summarize November 2024's weather conditions on the summit, they would be - warm, wet, foggy, windy, and snowy. To find out why these words were chosen, let's look back at some of the stats for November 2024: Our average temperature for November 2024 was 25.9°F (-3.4°C), which is 5.1°F above the 1991-2020 30-year normal for our station.
Looking Back at My Fall Internship
Looking Back at My Fall Internship By Andrew Sullivan Hello, my name is Andrew Sullivan and it’s an honor to talk to you all again; if you ever visited the summit and bumped into me you’ll know I just LOVE talking. Pretty wild that three months have already gone by and I’m now I'm recapping my fall internship experience. This has probably been the most enjoyable work experience of my life. Not only did I get to experience wind speeds of up to 120 mph (more on that later), but I got to develop my forecasting skills and work
Cog Railway Mesonet Overview
Cog Railway Mesonet Overview By Keith Garrett | November 12, 2024 Skyline mesonet station installation on September 3, 2024. The Cog Railway Vertical Profile is nearly online. Currently, three new stations have been brought online. The first is at 2,620 feet, in an open grassy area next to the pond at Marshfield Station at the base of the Cog Railway. The next is at 3,430 feet along the tracks, close to an area called Cold Springs. Continuing uphill, the third station will be installed at 3,850 feet attached to an on top of Waumbek Station. Half Way
Wildfires in New England
Wildfires in New England By Francis Tarasiewicz My last blog was about an extreme flash flood event in southwestern Connecticut and so you can probably understand my feelings of irony as I write a blog about recent drought and wildfires in the Northeast and New England. One of the many symptoms of climate change is an accelerated hydrologic cycle. Increased temperatures allow the atmosphere to hold more moisture and, so when it rains and meteorological conditions are just right, totals can be extreme. On the other hand, warmer than average temperatures can allow for greater rates of soil and
Notes from the “Ameri-Corner”
Notes from the “Ameri-Corner” By Amelia Gross I was lucky to arrive at Mount Washington Observatory in late May just as the last bit of snow was melting and the Sherman Adams Summit Building was opening to the public. Given the short window of time between the facilities on the summit opening and the school year ending, over a dozen field trips were squeezed into my first month as an AmeriCorps Educator. Nearly 600 students later, I gained confidence in my knowledge of extreme weather and understood I was in for a whirlwind few months here at the Obs.
100+ mph, Rime and Snow on the Summit!
100+ mph, Rime and Snow on the Summit! By Alexis George Winter-like conditions have been in full swing at Mount Washington since I first arrived on the summit last week. Summit staff enjoyed high winds on Saturday, October 12th, when winds gusted to 121 mph at the summit. Several inches of snow have fallen over the past few days, with the summit receiving 4 more inches of new snowfall just yesterday. Summit staff members took advantage of the recent snowfall and went sledding at the summit recently! The summit also commonly sees rime ice developing when below
My Fall Adventure Observing Mountain Weather
My Fall Adventure Observing Mountain Weather By Ingrid Miller Hello everyone! My name is Ingrid Miller and I am one of the fall interns at Mount Washington Observatory. I grew up in Vermont and spent many weekends hiking in the White Mountains with my family. I fell in love with the unique landscape, weather, and ecosystem. This spring I graduated from Bowdoin College with a major in Earth and Oceanographic Sciences and a minor in Visual Arts. I enjoyed learning about climate and earth processes, especially having the chance to study the ocean while in coastal Maine. I am
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