Mount Washington Observatory Observer Blog
Bringing Polar Byrd I to Mount Washington
Bringing Polar Byrd I to Mount Washington By Jackie Broccolo In 1968, my grandfather joined the Polar Byrd I “Dustin Transpolar Flight”, which was the first commercial flight to carry civilians across both poles and touch down on all continents in just 26 days. This round-the-world flight was a tribute to renowned polar explorer and pioneer of aerial exploration, Admiral Richard E. Byrd. Admiral Byrd led several historic expeditions to Antarctica from 1928 to 1956, including establishing the first United States Antarctic base on the Ross Ice Shelf (Little America I) during his second mission in 1928, the first
In Remembrance: Paul T. Fitzgerald
In Remembrance: Paul T. Fitzgerald By Rob Kirsch, MWOBS Trustee & Immediate Past President The Observatory and Mount Washington communities have lost a giant. Paul Thomas Fitzgerald passed away peacefully early on February 5, 2026. Paul was born in Springfield, MA, on April 27, 1950, and moved to Laconia at the age of two. He attended St. John’s School, Laconia High School and graduated from St. Michael’s College. Paul was in the first graduating class of the Franklin Pierce Law Center, now UNH Law School. Paul opened a law practice in Laconia with a classmate. He spent nearly fifty
Seek the Peak 2026: New Adventures, Rooted in Tradition
Seek the Peak 2026: New Adventures, Rooted in Tradition By MWOBS Staff Seek the Peak is Mount Washington Observatory's largest annual fundraiser, and for 26 years it's brought together hikers, adventurers, and people who care about weather science and the outdoors. Whether you summit Mount Washington, explore a local trail, or find your own path, every step you take supports the Observatory's critical work in weather forecasting, research, and education. But the event is more than just a hike—it’s a Hike-a-Thon! This means your adventure raises critical funds, and the more you raise, the more epic gear you earn.
What “Prepared” Really Means in the White Mountains
What “Prepared” Really Means in the White Mountains Early Spring in the Whites: The Most Honest Season By Andrew Harris, Burgeon Outdoor If you’ve spent any time in New Hampshire’s White Mountains in March, you already know: the forecast is more suggestion than promise. It can be 12°F at sunrise, 48°F by lunch, snowing mid-afternoon, and raining by the time you’re back at the trailhead. Valleys hint at spring. Summits still hold winter tight. Somewhere in between is where most hikers get into trouble. In the White Mountains, “prepared” doesn’t mean tossing an extra sweatshirt in the car. It
March on Mount Washington
March on Mount Washington By Ryan Knapp Looking towards Mt. Madison at sunset on March 21, 2026. The calendar has spoken: Friday, 20 March 2026, marked the first day of astronomical spring. For much of the country, this signals warmer days and melting snow, but on the summit of Mount Washington, the change of season is merely a suggestion. For the higher terrain of the White Mountains, the transition occurs at a significantly slower pace. If you are planning an ascent, be warned: the mountain is not ready for your lighter, three-season gear. As I am writing
Home Sweet Summit
Home Sweet Summit By Kathryn Hawkes Me enjoying the view of Mount Washington while skiing in the valley on my off week. Hi everyone! My name is Kathryn Hawkes and I’m the joint climate science research intern working on the White Mountains Almanac with Mount Washington Observatory, Appalachian Mountain Club, and Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest. I am super excited for this opportunity to spend the next months at the Observatory and evaluate how climate change is affecting the White Mountains! Unlike many other interns and observers that hail from far and wide, I have had the privilege
Pleasant Winter Days on the Summit
Pleasant Winter Days on the Summit By Karl Philippoff The summit of Mount Washington is known to be the "Home of the World’s Worst Weather" due to high winds, fog, and cold temperatures. However, after a particularly rare day earlier in February, I received a media inquiry about how unusual it is to have relatively pleasant weather conditions on the summit during meteorological winter (December – February), the time when the summit usually experiences its stormiest weather with respect to winds and fog. Now what constitutes a ‘pleasant’ weather day during the middle of winter can certainly change depending
Meet MWOBS/MWAC Intern Ryan Tanski
Meet MWOBS/MWAC Intern Ryan Tanski By Ryan Tanski Hello! I’m Ryan Tanski and I’m the joint USFS Mount Washington Avalanche Center and Mount Washington Observatory Intern this winter. I’m thrilled to get to work with such talented and knowledgeable staff from both organizations and spend my winter in such a beautiful place. Having lived in the Upper Valley since I was two, the mountains of New Hampshire are a familiar setting. Hikes up Cardigan, Kearsarge, and Moosilauke as a kid turned to peak bagging 4,000-footers at the crack of dawn once I could drive. Throughout my completionist exploration, checking
Geologist Climbs Rock Pile, Looks Up
Geologist Climbs Rock Pile, Looks Up By Bailey Nordin Hello from the summit of Mount Washington! My name is Bailey Nordin, and I am the newest Weather Observer and Education Specialist joining the team up here at the Observatory! I’m coming to Mount Washington from the Upper Valley, where I spent the past several years both as a graduate student in the Earth Sciences department at Dartmouth College and also working as a long-term teaching assistant with Dartmouth’s off-campus field geology program this past fall. My time in the Upper Valley also cemented in me a passion for climate
Life on Top of New England
Life on Top of New England By Anna Trujillo Hi everyone! My name is Anna Trujillo and I am one of the interns for the MWOBS winter season. I am super excited for the opportunity to spend these next few months at the Observatory! While I am originally from Massachusetts, my family moved from the East Coast to Boulder, Colorado when I was small. Growing up on the front range meant a childhood spent outdoors, as well as many fieldtrips to national institutes of climate and weather such as NOAA and NCAR. Both of these influences led me to
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