Winter Weather In April 2014-04-24 21:05:56.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist NULL While most locations in New England experience four seasons, the summit seems to only have three (in my opinion) and all of them deal with colors - the white season, the green season, and the brown season. The white season is that of 'winter' where snow/ice/rime coat everything, the green season is that of late spring/early summer when the sedge finally greens up and alpine flowers bloom, and brown season is that of late summer and early fall as everything becomes dormant again. While we have 'three' seasons,

A Summit Volunteer's Perspective 2014-04-23 06:30:01.000 - Katherine MacDonald,  Summit Volunteer NULL As always I've enjoyed my time at the summit. Getting up there was interesting, in that we couldn't go up on Wednesday as usual. The road was not safe, therefore we waited until Thursday. I've never encountered that situation before, however am pleased with the caution they take. I'd rather be safe than sorry. I was blessed this week with unbelievable views in all directions. There really was only one day that I couldn't get out. Sunrises and sunsets were spectacular. I was especially grateful for an Easter

Our Fiscal Year-End Campaign 2014-04-21 17:48:02.000 - Cara Rudio,  Director of Advancement NULL As you know, Mount Washington Observatory is a nonprofit institution, and we occasionally reach out to ask for your support. At the end of March we launched our fiscal year-end annual fund campaign to raise the remaining funds we need to end our year without a deficit. Our target is $50,000, and our deadline is April 30.With 9 days left in our fiscal year, we are still $29,873 from our goal. Please help us close this gap by making a tax-deductible contribution today.Your gift will support:- Our

Just Another Work Day 2014-04-20 15:41:36.000 - Mike Carmon,  Weather Observer/Education Specialist NULL It's true, today is Easter Sunday. But up here at the Observatory's mountaintop facility, the summit staff mans a 24-hour, 365-day weather station. Whatever the calendar date may be, or whoever we may have left behind in the valleys below, the dedicated summit staff is up here atop the mountain, working just as diligently as any other day!Since 1932, observers at the Mount Washington Observatory have taken hourly weather observations, which has gradually contributed to our now-82 year climate record. In order to ensure this data is

Calm Winds on the Summit 2014-04-19 16:29:52.000 - Samuel Hewitt,  Summit Intern NULL The summit of Mount Washington is well known for its weather extremes, especially its winds. The winds the observers experience on a daily basis can sometimes be hard to imagine, unless of course you have had the opportunity to experience them yourself. The average wind speed at any given point during the year is 35 mph, the highest average wind speed of any recording station in the continental United States. During the winter months, the summit sees 100 mph winds on one out of every five days

Spring Clean Up 2014-04-18 16:04:11.000 - Michael Kyle,  Weather Observer NULL After a long winter season, this year spring has be warmly welcomed by everyone here on the summit of Mount Washington. The start of this week temperatures on the summit reached as highs 50 degrees, which led to new daily record high for April 14th. These warm temperatures also contributed to a major melt out of the summits snow pack. From 7AM on April 13th to 7AM on April 16th the summits snow pack went from an average depth of 18 inches down to just 2 inches. The largest

The Great Spring Thaw Continues 2014-04-17 19:11:27.000 - Tom Padham,  Weather Observer NULL After arriving back on the summit after a delayed shift change day, I'm amazed to see how much of the snow pack has melted after another week of stronger April sun and some very warm weather. Driving up the road this morning, evidence of a major melt out was widespread as many areas that were snow covered in lower sections are now mostly bare. Along upper sections of the road, areas of the dirt section had plenty of runoff, with a few crevasses where water running off

There's a first time for everything 2014-04-16 19:14:16.000 - Kaitlyn O`Brien,  Weather Observer/Education Specialist NULL It sure has been a busy week up here on the summit! There were a lot of 'firsts' that I've been able to check off the list as a full-time summit employee. This week, I coded the longest observation I've done so far. One afternoon, we had six different cloud layers, which is the maximum number of layers you can include in a METAR report. Additionally, there were several remarks that had to be included, specifically variable cloud cover, distant haze, and both altocumulus and

A Volunteer Week By The Numbers 2014-04-15 18:27:12.000 - Bill Ofsiany & Barbara Althe,  Summit Volunteers NULL Barbara Althen and I are finishing up our fourth summit volunteer shift. This one was the most spectacular we've experienced so far. The numbers say it all: 1 - the number of nights with Northern Lights 2 - the number of sunrises with 100 plus mile visibility and a pink alpenglow 3 - the number of hikes taken: Mt. Clay; Lion Head; Nelson Crag 4 - the number of sunrises and sunsets combined 5 - the number of sunny, clear days or half-days

See You Later, Observatory 2014-04-14 16:01:50.000 - Mike Dorfman,  Weather Observer NULL As my final week wraps up, I want to thank everyone at the Observatory for giving an absolutely incredible and unforgettable 1.5 years on the summit. I have seen and learned an incredible amount and am very thankful for all of the wonderful people both up here on the summit and down in the valley that keep the Observatory's gears turning. If you want to stay overnight on the summit, the observatory has several options for you. Our winter and summer overnight trips allow attendees to spend a