Spring (Skiing) is in the Air! 2015-03-26 16:58:12.000 - Mike Dorfman, Weather Observer/IT Specialist   While this winter was slow to start, it seems to be the gift that doesn't stop giving. The higher summits have seen an impressively long span of below-freezing temperatures, allowing for minimal melting in our snow pack as well as plenty of snowfall! Coverage at resorts across the state is doing quite well with the deepest base depths reaching over 5 feet! Taking a look at the natural snow across the state, it’s no wonder the base depths are so deep! Natural snow depths are

A Variable Volunteer Week 2015-03-25 19:07:48.000 - Bill Ofsiany and Barbara Althen, Summit Volunteers   It’s said that March comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb. You could probably say the same thing about our week of summit volunteering. Last week’s shift change was switched to Thursday because the wind on the summit was blowing at 120 mph, and the windchill was 65 below. The first five days we were here, the wind didn’t drop below hurricane force, and rarely below the century mark. We hosted a group of climbers from the EMS Climbing School and

March 2015: The lion never left! 2015-03-24 17:23:08.000 - Tom Padham, Weather Observer/Meteorologist   After a very cold and windy winter across the higher summits, March appears to have continued the trend. A typical March on the summit of Mount Washington sees average temperatures rise from only 9 degrees on the first to the seemingly balmy upper teens (18) by the end of the month. After having our second coldest February on record just this past month, March has continued that trend. So far this month we have seen 14 days with readings below zero, with the lowest reading of

Exploring the Alpine Zone In Winter 2015-03-23 20:01:55.000 - Adam Freierman, Summit Intern   Occasionally a break in my work schedule affords me the opportunity to get outside and explore the summit. This is one of the great pleasures of living on top of Mt. Washington, being able to leave the observatory and immediately be in the middle of a spectacular alpine environment. For the most part, the weather this winter has limited my excursions to quick loops around the summit cone, ducking behind rocks to get out of the wind and peeking through holes in the fog to try

...And Down the (Home)Stretch They Come! 2015-03-21 08:55:46.000 - Mike Carmon, Interim Director of Summit Operations   With the summit back in the fog today, the view outside is nothin’ to write home about. Unless you’re a fan of the color gray, that is. The scenery on the Rockpile was more dramatic yesterday, including a view that I personally had never witnessed before. The scene began with a radio call from State Park, alerting us to the fact that a dog sled would be within sight, charging up the homestretch section of the Mount Washington Auto Road in a matter

A Long Awaited Week On The Rockpile In Winter 2015-03-20 16:10:57.000 - Mark Truman, Summit Volunteer   My love affair with the White Mountains and Mt Washington began only about 10 years ago. When my daughter was young we began coming to the mountains with her each summer and we all fell in love with them. In 2007 I turned 50 and gave myself a birthday present – a 4 day hike over the Presidential Range between the AMC huts. The first day of that trip I stood on the summit of Mt Madison, my first 4000 foot peak, and

A Change of Pace 2015-03-18 21:02:36.000 - Kaitlyn O'Brien, Weather Observer/Education Specialist   Every once in a while, an opportunity comes along that slightly changes our normal shift week schedule. This past Monday, I departed the summit two days earlier than normal so that I could attend the Women In Science and Engineering (WISE) conference at Salem State College in Salem, Massachusetts. Every year, Salem State College hosts a career day specifically tailored for young women with the hope of encouraging more females to pursue science, engineering, and other technical fields. This year, hundreds of girls from local middle schools

A Volunteer Week 2015-03-17 16:38:12.000 - Kevin Talbot, Summit Volunteer   Once again I find myself here on the summit of Mount Washington. I am spending another eight days with the crew of the Mount Washington Observatory in their volunteer program, cooking and cleaning for the crew and the various guests. It is a sweet job, but believe me, it is a lot of work! On days when it is my fellow volunteer and good friend Mark Truman, the crew, and me, it is pretty laid back. We only have to provide dinner for ourselves and the crew and do

Model Musings 2015-03-16 17:14:35.000 - Nate Iannuccillo, Summit Intern   With the astronomical winter season coming to a close at the end of the week, it appears that we’ll be receiving some proper winter weather before entering the spring season. Tomorrow will bring snow showers of scattered intensity throughout the day, and we’ll take a look at some of the discrepancies in the intensity of our precipitation as displayed by two different forecasting models. The GFS model, the top synoptic scale model of our National Weather Service, shows showers somewhat scattered, and of varying intensity. But conversely, if we look

The Ever-Changing Mountain 2015-03-15 20:17:47.000 - Michael Dorfman, Weather Observer/IT Specialist   While the valley might be seeing more mixed precipitation, the shoulder seasons are some of the most dangerous parts of the year for people traveling above tree line.   As people familiar with this mountain know, although there may be spring-like weather in the valley, the summit is still in what most people would consider “full-on” winter.  Our average temperature for late March is in the upper teens.  With more moist conditions present with these temperatures, it’s easy to get soaked.  This allows for a serious hypothermia threat