Mount Washington Observatory Observer Blog
Jack Middleton and Guy Gosselin Each Receive Founders Award at Annual Meeting
Jack Middleton and Guy Gosselin Each Receive Founders Award at Annual Meeting Mount Washington Observatory Trustee Gary MacDonald, left, congratulates Life Trustee and Founders Award recipient Jack Middleton in front of the Observatory "Shaky Shack" at McAuliffe Shepard Discovery Center. When Mount Washington Observatory (MWOBS) members, trustees, and staff gathered in Concord, NH recently at the McAuliffe Shepard Discovery Center for MWOBS' Annual Meeting, two longtime members and life trustees were recognized for their decades of service. The recipients of the organization’s first-ever Founders Award are Jack Middleton of Freedom, NH and Guy Gosselin of Gorham, NH. The Founders
As Summer Heats Up, Stay Cool, Stay Hydrated, Stay Informed!
As Summer Heats Up, Stay Cool, Stay Hydrated, Stay Informed! While Mt Washington and the White Mountains might be better known for cold weather risks like hypothermia and frostbite, the summer comes with its own risks related to heat illness. Heat-related illnesses commonly occur when the body produces more heat than the environment can allow the body to lose. While northern New England this summer has not been experiencing the triple-digit heat that the American south has been experiencing, we have experienced a few days with warmth and many days with high humidity in the mix this summer. When
23rd Annual Seek the Peak Exceeds Fundraising Goal
23rd Annual Seek the Peak Exceeds Fundraising GoalNorth Conway, NH, July 18, 2023 – Hikers and sponsors participating in the 23rd annual Seek the Peak contributed over $195,000 to the nonprofit Mount Washington Observatory (MWOBS), funds that will propel MWOBS’ commitment to real-time weather data and forecasting in the White Mountains. This result significantly exceeded the 2023 goal of raising $170,000.“We are amazed and inspired by our fundraising hikers, sponsors, Mount Washington partners, and volunteers,” Drew Bush, MWOBS Executive Director, said. “Their incredible efforts made it possible once again for the outdoor community to gather at this premier hiking event
Weather’s Influence on Wildfire Smoke in early June
Weather's Influence on Wildfire Smoke in early June Wildfires, smoke, and poor air quality have primarily been reserved for the West Coast. We’ve all seen the horrific videos from California’s destructive wildfires, but until recently these fires seemed like a distant threat. Then large portions of Quebec’s boreal forests began to burn. Millions across the eastern seaboard woke up on the morning of June 8 to a sunrise shrouded in smoke, and in New York City, hazardous air-quality captured national attention. EarthCam view of smoke in New York City on the afternoon of June 8th Out of sheer luck,
MWOBS Internship: Research, Forecasting, Communications, and a Race up the Auto Road
MWOBS Internship: Research, Forecasting, Communications, and a Race up the Auto Road Hello, my name is Myah Rather, and I am super excited to be a summit intern with the Observatory this summer! Mount Washington is a big change of scenery for me, as I am from Prince George's County, MD, located just 20 minutes from the U.S. Capital. I recently graduated from Pennsylvania State University in May with a bachelor's degree in Meteorology and Atmospheric Science. In the fall, I will be heading to Howard University to pursue their graduate school program and further explore my passion for
The Story Behind a Tumultuous Transition to Spring
The Story Behind a Tumultuous Transition to Spring Francis Tarasiewicz, Weather Observer & Education Specialist April ended on an active and destructive note for the summit and New England as a powerful area of low pressure delivered flooding rains and damaging winds. To add insult to injury, May led a follow-up act that featured an all-star cast of heavy snow, graupel, and hail on the summit. Let’s explore the science and story behind a violent late-season storm and tumultuous transition into spring. Thanks to dozens of weather observers around the Northeast, we are able to get a sense of
Mt Washington Summer Season 2023 Information
Mt Washington Summer Season 2023 Information Ryan Knapp, Weather Observer/Staff Meteorologist With summer quickly approaching, you might be looking for information about the various entities on and around Mount Washington. So, below are some references you can utilize in your planning to the summit. Mount Washington Observatory: Weather Station Tours – Our tours return this summer and will be available when the Mt. Washington State Park Sherman Adams Visitor Center is open to the public (see below). These tours are only available to Observatory members (become a member HERE) and require a reservation prior to your visit. For information
Moon Illusion and Tonight’s Flower Moon
Moon Illusion and Tonight’s Flower Moon Hayden Pearson, Weather Observer & Research Specialist Going out to look at a full moon has always inspired an awe for me, especially when I’m able to catch it cresting over the horizon and it looms large and a deep firey red or orange, silhouetting the skyline. The Harvest Moon in the fall is typically my favorite because it signals the changing of seasons, cooler air, and starts getting everyone in the spooky spirit for Halloween. There is also a full moon in spring, which occurs tonight, known as the Flower Moon. This
A Closer Look at Elevation-Based Temperature Swings
A Closer Look at Elevation-Based Temperature Swings As you go up in the atmosphere, daily temperature swings become relatively lower compared to those on the surface. This is primarily because air is relatively transparent to solar radiation, which is the reason that on clear days at Mount Washington Observatory, we can see 130 miles to our west, all the way to the high peaks of the Adirondack Mountains in New York. Generally, incoming solar radiation that is not reflected by clouds or white, snowy surfaces transits the atmosphere and is only absorbed when it hits land, vegetation, or a
Remembering the Big Wind
Remembering the Big Wind Eighty-nine years ago today, Mount Washington Observatory, in its second year of existence, recorded a world-record wind speed of 231 miles per hour – a record that would stand for over 60 years. Although a higher wind speed has since been recorded elsewhere (Tropical Cyclone Olivia, Barrow Island, Australia, April 10, 1996), the Observatory’s measurement of the “Big Wind” on April 12, 1934 still stands as the fastest wind speed ever recorded by a staffed weather station. The ambitious weather observers atop Mount Washington had been hoping to achieve such a record, yet no one
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