A Week on the Summit 2015-04-22 15:52:25.000 - Barbara Marino, Summit Volunteer   Where did the week go? When I arrived the volunteers from last shift kept me company till they were ready to go down. Thanks to John Donavan and Gates Ingram for leaving the living quarters in great shape and even leaving dessert for the evening. Once they were gone it was time to figure out dinner and my shift began!   This is my third time as a volunteer on the mountain, and it never gets old. Baking, cooking, and planning meals is oddly satisfying for someone

Sleet vs. Hail 2015-04-21 15:45:40.000 - Mike Carmon, Co-Director of Summit Operations   Non-meteorologist: "It’s hailing outside."Meteorologist: "No, it’s actually sleeting."Non-meteorologist: "What’s the difference?"Meteorologist: "Uhhh…" This is an exchange I've had with friends, family, and peers alike. I always wince a little when hail is mistook for sleet or vice-versa; and I really cringe when it’s assumed there is no difference at all. That's because both are very distinct precipitation types that form under very different meteorological circumstances. It's true both sleet and hail are forms of solid precipitation. But that's about the extent of their commonality. Sleet is actually a common slang

Gazing Into the Rockpile's Icy Past 2015-04-20 15:41:36.000 - Adam Freierman, Summit Intern   It is late April at the end of a long cold winter and the ravines on Mount Washington are just about full to the brim with snow. More snow may be on the way this week and it’s almost hard to imagine that it will all melt before the snow flies again in the fall. That will probably seem foolish come July, but there have been times in local memories when small pockets of snow endured the summer months tucked away in hidden corners of the

From Great To Awesome 2015-04-18 16:04:56.000 - Michael Kyle, Weather Observer/IT Specialist   As the sun began to rise over the horizon the skies were mostly clear of clouds. Temperatures were slightly above average. The winds were light, at least they were by summit standards. The lovely start to the day was greatly appreciated since it took a while to get the wet bulb reading off the sling. As the morning transitioned into the afternoon the weather turned from mostly sunny to mostly cloudy, and then conditions just continued to worsen. Just like the forecast was calling for a, weak

Spring Snowstorm On The Horizon? 2015-04-17 16:54:33.000 - Tom Padham, Weather Observer/Meteorologist   As our Co-Director of Summit Operations Mike Carmon mentioned yesterday, signs of spring abound across the higher elevations of New Hampshire. Our snow depth is at its lowest point in nearly 3 months, and temperatures have been climbing above freezing on the summit much more frequently the past few weeks. Does this mean we’re done with snow and wintry weather across the higher summits? No way! Looking ahead at the weather over the next several days, a very active storm pattern will lead to plenty of precipitation

40-Degree Warmth 2015-04-16 15:07:35.000 - Mike Carmon, Co-Director of Summit Operations   I stepped outside for an observation earlier today. After utilizing the sling psychrometer, the temperature read 37°F, with plenty of sunshine overhead, and a warm 25 mph breeze. I remarked to no one in particular, "wow, it's really warm out here." And then I thought twice and chuckled to myself. Where does 37°F feel "really warm"? The summit of Mount Washington, that's where. After an impressively cold winter season in which we've seen over 300 inches of snowfall (so far), temperatures struggling to rise above zero degrees for

SO MUCH TO EXPERIENCE! 2015-04-15 08:21:09.000 - John Donovan, Summit Volunteer   When you step out of the Snow Cat upon arrival at Mount Washington Observatory the experiences start piling up. Driving almost vertically up a 20 foot snow pile to clear the entrance for unloading, we've arrived. A well organized fire line of Observers and Volunteers pass along the many backpacks, food and gear that is arriving, then pass along the many backpacks, trash and gear that is departing. Now to unpack, organize the kitchen and plan the night's first meal. Done! Let's get in our mountaineering gear and

Ramblings from a Volunteer 2015-04-14 20:23:57.000 - Gates Ingram, Summit Volunteer   As a Boy Scout it was my first time up Mount Washington with a troop from Dover, NH. I learned very quickly that you don’t take this mountain for granted. While ascending Tuckerman Ravine trail I witnessed a body in a stretcher being brought down from Lunch Rocks. It was death #38 as noted in Not Without Peril by Nicholas Howe. That number has now been exceeded by over 100. You can find the book at the Weather Discovery Center gift shop in North Conway and read about it on

Sunny and Mild 2015-04-13 06:28:12.000 - Ryan Knapp, Weather Observer/Staff Meteorologist   If one had to summarize Monday in three words it would be “sunny and mild.” While these three words will be departing our vocabulary a bit Monday night into Tuesday, they will be returning to the region for the midweek. High pressure, which will be providing the fair weather on Monday, will be sliding offshore heading into Monday night as a low approaches to our northwest. As the low passes to our north, it will be dragging a trailing weak cold front with it, which will approach from

Glaze Ice Galore 2015-04-11 14:38:14.000 - Nate Iannuccillo, Summit Intern   It’s crazy to think that since I started interning in mid-January, I had yet to see temperatures above freezing on the summit until just yesterday, when we peaked at 44˚F in the afternoon.  These temperatures brought about a slew of different weather phenomena as we transitioned through the freezing line. I found the abundance of glaze ice yesterday morning to be particularly interesting, so I figured I would talk about it a little bit. So what is glaze ice? Back in February, I explained the formation of rime ice, and