Another Great Week! 2014-05-14 18:28:47.000 - Joe Kayan,  Summit Volunteer Banana applesauce bread Another volunteer week up here has come to a bittersweet close. The week passes at times slowly, at other times it wizzes past much like the famous and constant winds here on the pinnacle of the northeast. Having been a volunteer many times over the years, a lot is the same. Glorious sunsets, an occasional sunrise (I AM on a bit of a vacation after all), wind that pummels you, will take away your breath, remove your glasses as my co volunteer, John Lund, found out. Wind

Cheers to our Volunteers 2014-05-13 23:31:25.000 - Kaitlyn O`Brien,  Weather Observer/Education Specialist Volunteers Joe and John watching the sunset It was another beautiful day on the summit of Mount Washington! Winds were light and variable, temperatures were seasonably warm, and the sun was peeking through several cloud layers. Like every Tuesday at the end of our shift, we prepare for shift change on Wednesday morning. Thanks to our wonderful volunteers, the lengthy Tuesday 'To-do' list was knocked out in no time! It's often easy to take the hard work our volunteers do for granted, but I know I'm speaking on

Spring is Here 2014-05-12 20:01:51.000 - Mike Dorfman,  Weather Observer A Raven Playing in the Wind After a brief hiatus from the summit, I enjoyed a beautiful ride up today on the Observatory's first trip of the season to the summit without chains. After getting used to 70-degree snowless weather, I was amazing at how much snow is sticking around on the mountain! There was a towering 10-15 foot wall of snow next to the road in an area known for its drifts about halfway up. If the Mount Washington Auto Road didn't dig down to the pavement each spring,

Happy Mother's Day 2014-05-11 18:14:27.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist Our reminder for today. When we work up here for a week at a time, the days sometimes meld together and it is sometimes easy to lose track of what day it actually is. It is tough enough keeping track during the days, but when you work nights like I do, one day literally runs into the next and by the time I wrap my head around it all, I am heading back down. In the off-season, losing ourselves in the week is fine but with summer around the corner,

A Successful Saturday 2014-05-10 22:20:22.000 - Kaitlyn O`Brien,  Weather Observer/Education Specialist A sudden wind gust Today certainly had a windy start. This morning when I woke up, winds were averaging about 35mph. I had just returned to my desk after completing the morning radio shows when the familiar howling of air rushing by the building turned my attention to the Hays chart. There, I confirmed that we had just experienced a peak wind gust, which upon further investigation, occurred at approximately 0730 EDT and read 89mph! The amount of energy contained within the atmosphere never ceases to amaze me, as

Upcoming Operating Schedules 2014-05-09 21:15:11.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist NULL The summer season on the summit is quickly approaching which always raises several questions from guests itching to get up here. So, I figured now would be a great time to run down all of the useful links to use in order for you to plan your trip(s) to the summit in the days and weeks ahead.So let us start at the top. The Sherman Adams Visitor Center on the summit of Mount Washington is owned and operated by the Mount Washington State Park. Their operating schedule is available

'Rumbling' Thoughts 2014-05-08 21:21:15.000 - Kaitlyn O`Brien,  Weather Observer/Education Specialist NULL Thunderstorm season is upon us! With a chance of thunderstorms in the forecast for tomorrow, it's important to remember to check the higher summits forecast before heading outside for outdoor activities. Even though the mornings may be beautiful in the surrounding valleys, it's imperative to note that mountain weather conditions change rapidly and with little warning. What may have started as a cluster of rain showers can quickly evolve into a strong thunderstorm in a matter of minutes; so there's no reason to have to hike and battle hail,

Volunteer Comments 2014-05-07 13:06:16.000 - Stephen Crossman,  Summit Volunteer NULL My volunteer week at the Mount Washington Observatory is coming to a close. This was my second time here as a volunteer; my first during a winter week. Yes, it's still considered winter here on the summit. The other volunteer and I spent the week cooking for the Observatory staff, keeping the living quarters clean, and helping with a few small odd jobs (based on what we saw during one of them, the new Summit Museum is going to be amazing). During our free time, we took daily walks around

Extreme Mount Washington awaits exhibits and ribbon cutting 2014-05-06 10:31:33.000 - Will Broussard,  Outreach Coordinator NULL The summit museum space that will soon host Extreme Mount Washington is ready for install. Having been outfitted with the necessary lighting, electricity, and carpeting, the exhibit floor, retail shop, and storage space awaits the arrival of exhibits from Massachusetts later this month. As always, the weather will dictate how quickly the exhibit materials make their way to the summit. With a heavy snow year and winter remaining in full control as of this post, we remain flexible with our schedule.In Norwood, Massachusetts, Mystic

Winter is Back! 2014-05-05 18:35:26.000 - Samuel Hewitt,  Summit Intern NULL Even though the calendar reads May, it has felt more like February on the summit over the last 3 days. A slow moving upper-level disturbance has resulted in wave after wave of precipitation across New England. On the summit, afternoon high temperatures around 30 degrees Fahrenheit have allowed the precipitation to fall as a mix of snow, snow pellets and ice pellets. Yesterday, we recorded 8.1" of new snow, the most snow the summit has seen in a single day since March 20th. Although it is only May 5th,