Mulling Over Model Outputs 2015-01-31 17:16:28.000 - Nate Iannuccillo, Summit Intern   Our location in New England places us in an ideal spot to see the passage of mid-latitude cyclones with great frequency throughout the year. Not to be confused with tropical cyclones, storms that develop and form over warm ocean waters of the tropics, mid-latitude cyclones all have similar tendencies with respect to their structure and evolution. All of our storms during the past couple of weeks can be classified as mid-latitude cyclones, and we’ll take a look at some common patterns and tendencies leading to their development.  

Another Snowy Day on the Summit! 2015-01-30 20:33:46.000 - Michael Dorfman, Weather Observer/IT Specialist   With a low passing directly overhead today, we got the treat of vertically-falling snow due to extremely calm winds. Adding up to 5.7 inches so far (and with a 5% liquid content), the snow that is falling is extremely light and fluffy. That rivals the 5% density champagne powder that many western ski resorts advertise! Even before collecting the snow to measure its liquid content, I knew the snow was light and fluffy; I could drag my feet through the 3 inches that lay on

Building Blocks of a Nor'Easter 2015-01-29 13:57:23.000 - Nate Iannuccillo, Summit Intern   Over the past week, New England has seen the effects of two relatively strong storms, or “Nor’easters” as we affectionately call them. After seeing these two systems move through New England almost back to back, the region now faces a third storm beginning tonight and continuing throughout Friday, surely bringing more snowfall to New Hampshire.   For those that have been diligently following the paths of these storms, you may have already noticed that these storms follow similar paths in their stages of development. These storms begin

A Wild Week of Weather 2015-01-28 12:29:05.000 - Caleb Meute, Weather Observer / Education Specialist   Upon arriving here on the summit last Wednesday, I had no idea how busy and truly awesome this week was going to be. To begin the week, we had high pressure which allowed for clear skies and visibilities that were maxed out at 130 miles. I am very thankful for my contact lenses which allow me to see that far, because it is an incredible scene when you can observe 130 miles into one of the most visually stunning regions of this country. I

It's Great To Be Back On the Summit! 2015-01-27 18:57:30.000 - Jan Berriochoa, Summit Volunteer/Former Museum Attendant   How I longed to once again have my morning Adventure Joe’s coffee while overlooking the snowcapped mountains at sunrise, only to end my day with a magical sunset with gleaming stars overhead. Coming to the summit to prepare food for my friends at the Mount Washington Observatory is pretty awesome and getting caught up on the newest weather trends is a real bonus. So many changes have transpired on the summit since my last shift as Summit Museum Attendant in October. It

The Blizzard of 2015 2015-01-26 19:05:29.000 - Tom Padham, Weather Observer/Meteorologist   What a difference a week makes! It seems that after relatively little in the way of help from Mother Nature with snowfall so far this winter, things have turned around very quickly. After one major snowstorm dumped 6-12 inches of snow across southern parts of the state Saturday, a potentially historic Nor’easter is poised to drop anywhere from 1-3 feet of snow over nearly the entire state. Snow will begin during the evening hours today across southern areas, with snow then spreading north towards the Canadian border after

My New Home on the Rockpile 2015-01-25 18:33:17.000 - Adam Freierman, Summit Intern   Two months ago, when I applied for the winter internship here on the summit, I was spending my days excavating 20 million year old horse and caiman fossils in the sweltering humidity of the banks of the Panama Canal. Sitting in my non-air-conditioned apartment while listening to a tropical thunderstorm thrash the tin roof, I tried to fathom the snow, cold, and hurricane force winds that I might expect on top of Mt. Washington. My imagination let me down.  Growing up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, I have

Halfway Through my Week at the Top 2015-01-24 16:28:24.000 - Jeff Swanson, Summit Volunteer   Volunteering at the Mt Washington Observatory is truly a special opportunity. You get to witness weather research and analysis in progress, get to know some wonderful individuals that come here from around the country to work, and you experience the sudden change of the weather outside. My co-volunteer Jan Berriochoa and I have the primary responsibility to keep them fed with the multitude of food combinations from the pantry. It's great to experiment with recipes for people I have never met. The crews are always

My Week as a Volunteer 2015-01-23 18:55:51.000 - Noreen McGrath, Summit Volunteer   I was a little apprehensive in the final days preparing for my first winter week at the MWObs. Were my clothes going to be warm enough? How many trips were coming up I'd have to feed? And most of all, could I handle it by myself, since I was the only volunteer this week. Flying solo- so they say. Well, I had nothing to worry about. I had trips to feed five days out of the week, on top of the crew's dinners, the daily chores and

Winter's Return 2015-01-22 19:23:46.000 - Caleb Meute, Weather Observer/Education Specialist   Great news for skiers and snow lovers across New Hampshire as high pressure looks to remain in the forecast into the weekend before low pressure and unsettled weather will eventually make a return. This means that skies will be mostly clear tonight through Friday night and temperatures will be below freezing, allowing ski resorts to continue to build onto their existing snowpack. This weekend looks quite interesting as we have two separate areas of low pressure which will make their ways towards New England potentially dropping accumulating snow throughout