Spring Snow Storm Deja vu 2014-03-21 17:16:56.000 - Michael Kyle,  Weather Observer NULL One year ago to the week, I wrote a comment about how winter does not want to come to an end. The Observer Comment talked about how spring was a few days away but forecast models were showing that another late season storm was in the making. Six days later that storm came through and dropped two feet of snow on the summit, and caused shift change to be pushed back a day. Now one year later, it is looking like we might have a repeat situation

Spring Events 2014-03-19 21:45:38.000 - Tom Padham,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist NULL Although it may not feel like it today with snow and a wintry mix falling across northern New England, spring is still just around the corner. This spring we have a few great opportunities to become a part of the ever-growing Mount Washington Observatory community, all the while aiding our organization to continue the valuable scientific work done on this windswept peak for over 80 years.We are currently recruiting volunteers with a passion for education to serve as week-long docents at our all-new Extreme Mount Washington museum at the summit.

Ever Wanted To Get A Taste Of What Mount Washington's Winter Weather Is Like 2014-03-18 15:33:35.000 - Roger Pushor,  Weather Observer/IT Specialist Snow Coach just above 4000 feet. I just looked at the calendar and there's still one DayTrip with space available. Traveling to the summit in the Observatory snowcat, you will have the opportunity to meet the crew, have lunch, tour our facility, and explore. If you can only plan on being in North Conway, consider visiting our Weather Discovery Center. With a full size model of our historic weather station you can feel what Observers felt as the

Cold But Clear 2014-03-17 19:36:21.000 - Mike Dorfman,  Weather Observer NULL Yet another beautiful day on the Rock-pile! With visibility at 120 miles for much of the day, we were able to see five states (MA, NY, VT, ME, NH) and two countries (the US and Canada; and many more if you count the dozens of country-named towns that surround the area). Despite more wild weather in the wintertime, our clearest days are during periods of cold high pressure in the winter. Although we can only report up to 130 miles for visibility, we can often see much farther than

March Feels A Whole Lot Like January 2014-03-16 16:40:22.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist March sixteenth should be averaging around 13F (-10C), however, that is not the case this year. From midnight until 1600EDT today, we have been averaging -8F (-22C). This alone is a notable departure, but if models pan out this afternoon and overnight, that average is about to plunge even lower. As high pressure continues to build in from the west, a strong northwesterly flow will continue to push cold northern air in, dropping lows to around -20F (-29C). And if projected lows do become reality, there

Cold And Windy Ahead 2014-03-15 18:12:26.000 - Mike Dorfman,  Weather Observer NULL Winds are supposed to ramp up through the forecast period. With temperatures dropping down, wind chills will drop down to as low as 50-70 degrees below zero. This will allow frostbite to form on exposed skin in less than 5 minutes. This will make for some chilly observations, but luckily our warm EMS gear will keep us protected from the elements. As I've said before, it's really impossible to imagine conditions like these until you've gotten yourself into them. Trust my words when I say that you really

Happy Birthday Ryan And Cara! 2014-03-14 17:29:55.000 - Rebecca Scholand,  Weather Observer/Education Specialist NULL Today is Pi Day, March 14th, which if you know the numerical value of Pi equals 3.14. For the Observatory this also is a special day because it is Weather Observer Ryan Knapp's and our Director of Advancement Cara Rudio's birthday! So happy birthday from 6288 feet!On a separate note Ginger Zee is coming to join the Mount Washington Observatory in Portland on April 4 at the Port City Music Hall to share her stories of wild weather and storm chasing. From WMTW-TV Channel 8, Maine's

Measuring Snow On The Summit 2014-03-13 17:22:41.000 - Mike Dorfman,  Weather Observer NULL Just over a foot of snow fell on the summit over the past 36 hours, drifting into some really impressive piles around the summit building. As you may know, we measure precipitation every six hours here at the Observatory, measuring the depth in a can approximately 100 feet away from the summit building. On a clear summer day, collecting the precipitation can is an extremely simple task (usually), but last night, Observer Ryan Knapp encountered drifts ranging from waist to chest deep. We've used the same method

Back on the Summit! 2014-03-12 18:03:22.000 - Kaitlyn O`Brien,  Weather Observer/Education Specialist NULL I am thrilled to be back on the summit! After the conclusion of my Internship last summer I ended up moving back to Oklahoma where I took a job as a Support Meteorologist at a company known as Weather Decision Technologies. I spent just over six months in the Sooner State working alongside some wonderful people while providing technical and meteorological support to hundreds of clients and customers. I've since moved back to the Northeast, and now I'm happy to say, I'm back atop the summit of

Scramble for Shift Change 2014-03-11 16:51:02.000 - Mike Carmon,  Weather Observer/Education Specialist NULL With the impending storm on the horizon tomorrow, the traditional shift change day for summit staff, we've scrambled a bit to accommodate.Despite the heartiness of the staff and our wintertime transportation (Meow, Snow Kitty!), the weather can still preclude shift change from occurring. In order to guard against the possibility of our shift being stuck an extra day (or maybe even two), we've decided on a bright solution. In fact, a bright-and-early solution! Our counterparts on the other shift will meet at the base of the mountain