A Glimpse of Winter to Come 2014-09-18 18:57:45.000 - Tom Padham,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist NULL Ice Building Up On The ParapetAs Kyle alluded to with his comment yesterday, this week is our shift's first taste of winter this season. Rime and glaze ice are currently building up on the summit structures, with more expected through this evening. After spending the summer going outside with only a light jacket on, today was the first day I had to gather up my winter gear and wear a hat, gloves, and goggles before heading out onto the icy deck for a weather observation.Although this

Winter Is Coming 2014-09-17 18:04:58.000 - Michael Kyle,  Weather Observer NULL After returning to the summit after my off week, it was exciting to see that talk of snow and icing are starting to become part of our weekly weather briefings. During my drive back to New Hampshire yesterday it was starting to become clear that summer is quickly winding down and autumn is becoming more prominent. In the valleys, leaves are starting to transition from the summer greens to their fall yellows and oranges, and soon enough they will be falling to the ground. As that is occurring in

Sunrise, Sunset, and Beyond 2014-09-16 23:22:24.000 - Ruth Innes,  Summit Volunteer NULL This week I had the privilege of being a volunteer at the Mount Washington Observatory. It proved to be one of the best weeks ever! Apart from the 'usual' experiences oflife at the top, we all experienced exceptional events: 1. Stunning, crystal clear sunrises 2. Beautiful sunsets (again, clear skies) 3. An Aurora Borealis that was, according to the staff 'the best any of them have ever seen'If you are reading this you no doubt have likely heard of the Aurora Borealis occurrence,as it was exceptional and has

The Most Exciting Week Ever! 2014-09-15 18:26:13.000 - Arielle Ahrens,  Summit Intern Rime ice on a rock! I'm pretty sure this has been the most exciting week I have experienced since the start of my internship - and that's saying a lot. This week brought many awesome experiences for me.There were awesome sunsets over some incredible undercast - which I am still getting used to! Friday night brought the aurora, which was incredible! Definitely beats out the last one I saw in terms of awesome. It was short-lived, but intense. I could actually see colors this time! My eyes were

Return of the Rime 2014-09-14 19:10:33.000 - Kaitlyn O`Brien,  Weather Observer/Education Specialist Rime ice coats the Observation Deck this morning The air has a chillThat invokes a shiverSending ripples down the spineCausing the body to quiverThe sound of the windHowling past my earIs a familiar reminderWe've reached this time of yearI pull my hat downAnd zipper up tightI walk across the deckAnd soak up the sightThe sun has just risenPeeking above the silhouettesThe cloud bank rolls inAnd settles all debtsCrunch, scrunch, crackReverberating through the airThe rime has returnedAfter it once was so rarePlodding alongTo the rhythm of the beatMy footsteps

Common Aurora Questions Answered 2014-09-13 19:28:59.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist Last night's Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) Last night we were treated to a short but beautiful display of the Northern Lights. As the event was occurring we posted an image to our Facebook feed and our Twitter feed which you can see in the thumbnail to this comment. This image has been making the rounds today in not only the Social Media sphere but the News sphere too. With this image, there have been several questions asked by individuals. So, I thought I'd take this comment to address a

Beautiful Pictures From The Summit 2014-09-12 17:55:33.000 - Mike Dorfman,  Weather Observer/IT Specialist Photo Stack of the Sunrise The last week has brought absolutely incredible weather. I woke up and took a glance out the Weather Room window, and it looked like winter! Not in the traditional way of ice and snow, but rather the solid deck of stratus below us, with bluebird skies above. This phenomenon, known to the observers on the summit as an "undercast," occurs more frequently in the winter due to sinking cold air on the mountains. As this cold air pools in the valley, it

Volunteering for a Week 2014-09-11 16:29:17.000 - Linda Gifford & Laura Dorfman,  Summit Volunteers NULL WOW! We have had a spectacular week up on the Rock Pile! As summit volunteers, we quickly forged friendships and bonded over the awe-inspiring experience! We cooked dinners for the meteorologists and crew. This has been such a treat to find our way around the kitchen, create menus, and get to know the observers. They are like family up here, sharing dinner and living space for a week at a time, and we get to join them! Even Marty the cat is here with family

Carpe Diem 2014-09-10 19:59:56.000 - Jan Berriochoa,  Summit Museum Attendant NULL My season as Summit Museum Attendant is coming to an end. However, as much as I enjoyed living this summer on the Rock Pile, I enjoy the winter months in the lower Whites as well. As I look back at the weeks I have spent living with the Mount Washington Observatory staff, volunteers and New Hampshire State Park staff, I realize I have several fond memories. I learned that having a sense of humor is a must when working and living on the summit. As we all found ourselves

Beautiful Day and a Great Week 2014-09-09 19:08:48.000 - Caleb Meute,  Summit Intern 110 Miles of Visibility! Well today has brought with it some of the driest air I have seen up here on the summit since arriving in the middle of May. Currently, the dewpoint is 8.3 degrees F below zero making for a relative humidity of only 10 %. This is leading to a spectacular view of 110 miles. Being able to report that type of visibility is unique to our station. We can actually report up to a maximum distance of 135 miles when the summit of