Extreme Mountain 2014-10-21 12:19:00.000 - Christine Welsh, Summit Museum Attendant   Here, on top of the tallest terra firma in the northeast United States, dedicated weather observers, who were thought at the time to be stark raving mad, measured a wind speed of an astonishing 231 miles per hour. That was in 1934. Today, while most folks work Monday through Friday 9-5, our weather observers work around the clock for a week at a time continuing the Mount Washington Observatory's mission of recording hourly weather data, and eagerly awaiting the next great meteorological phenomenon. Mount Washington is proud to call

Winter visits the summit 2014-10-20 18:09:00.000 - Tom Padham, Weather Observer/Meteorologist   Winter has made a brief return to the higher summits, with temperatures bottoming out in the lower teens last night and the summit receiving some light snow accumulation along with over a foot of rime ice. Winds were also more typical of the winter season, with a peak gust of 80 mph, which made de-icing last night even more exciting. This morning we were treated to fantastic views as the higher summits cleared out of the fog, with a stark difference in color from the white summits of

Be Prepared! 2014-10-19 19:55:00.000 - Michael Kyle, Weather Observer/IT Specialist   To take a line from YouTube sensation Frankie MacDonald, Be Prepared! It is always important to be prepared while hiking, but with winter's grasp tightening on the summit of Mount Washington it is even more vital to make sure you prepare for what is, or could be awaiting you on the trail.While hiking you should always carry the 10 essentials of hiking. Also monitor the weather for the valley and higher summits . The weather between the valley and the higher summits could be completely different.What is a mild

Wild Weather 2014-10-18 17:35:00.000 - Caleb Meute, Summit Intern   Every week up here I am exposed to a different type of weather extreme and it certainly keeps things interesting. On Thursday, the summit had 3.22 inches of rain dumped on it. The temperatures were in the 50s which are well above normal values for this time of the year. We actually tied a daily maximum temperature record for October 15th, which was set in 1947. All of these warm temperatures in the beginning of the week will now be a far cry from where our temperatures are looking to

Life as a Cat 2014-10-17 17:43:00.000 - Marty, Summit Cat   So I took a trip down the mountain a couple of weeks ago to visit my doc. I haven't taken a trip down to the valley in a while. I forgot how there is 20% more oxygen at the base of this mountain. SQUIRREL The observers act disappointed with me sometimes when I don't capture the rodents that wander into our home. Have you tried chasing a flying squirrel on all fours around a room at the 800 millibar level? While they are quite distracting, I need at least

Volunteer Comments 2014-10-16 17:58:00.000 - Jill Terman Potter, Summit Volunteer   It's Wednesday morning, and we are packed and ready to leave. One week ago we were at the base of the mountain, enjoying a cool and beautiful fall morning, wondering what the week would be like. This is my second time here, so I had a general idea, and my good friend, Amy, is always game for anything. Luckily, I had increased my abdominal workouts for the past month, preparing for a week of laughing with Amy. My first week here was July/August. The first day we had heavy

Winter Internship Deadline Today: Apply Now! 2014-10-15 18:36:00.000 - Mike Carmon, Weather Observer/Education Specialist   Let me take the time to talk to you all about an incredible opportunity here at the Mount Washington Observatory! Are you looking to gain some real-world experience in the field of meteorology? How about at a weather station located atop a mountain, world-famous for it's extreme weather? Our internship program is incredibly unique, and is a great opportunity to get invaluable experience in a fully-operational mountaintop weather station! It's a great foot in the door too, as all six full-time observers currently on staff

My Final Week on the Summit 2014-10-14 20:11:00.000 - Andrew Tucker, Summit Museum Attendant   Well I have come to the final day of my adventure atop Mount Washington for the season. I never expected to live on a mountain, let alone be with such an amazing group of people. From experiencing wind speeds up to almost 100mph, to being able to capture the amazing view of the Northern Lights, I must say that this has been one of the best times of my life. I feel like I have become part of a family during my time at the

Changeable Weather on the Summit 2014-10-13 18:50:00.000 - Mike Dorfman, Weather Observer/IT Specialist   Today displayed Mount Washington's variable weather at its best.I woke up to a beautiful sunrise under completely clear skies.Doing observations through the day, there were some high level clouds filtering in, but they didn't even cover 1/8th of the sky.Just after noontime, I saw low level clouds in the distance.As I watched over the span of 30 minutes or so, I could see lenticulars forming closer and closer to the summit.Shortly after they began to form over the Northern Presidential Range, the cloud base lowered and

Mid-October Reminders 2014-10-12 19:34:00.000 - Kaitlyn O`Brien, Weather Observer/Education Specialist   Busy! That's the best word to sum up this cool, crisp, mid-October Sunday. Typically around this time of year, everyone is making their last few visits to the summit before operations close down for the winter season. If you are wondering what the current operational hours are, please see Ryan's comment from yesterday, where he provided thorough descriptions of what to expect over the next few weeks. It's hard to believe we are nearly halfway through the month already. There are just a few important reminders to consider before