The Sound of Winter 2013-10-20 16:38:42.000 - Tom Padham,  Summit Intern Rime along the S. Presi-Ridgeline After waking up around 5:45 this morning and heading up to weather room, it seemed as if someone flicked a switch and winter had arrived overnight on the summit. Yesterday the small amount of rime ice we saw in the morning hours largely melted by the afternoon as temperatures rose above freezing and skies cleared. This morning I awoke to see our windows were covered with a new layer of ice, and even some light snow was falling. During observer Brian Fitzgerald's morning radio

Icing Season 2013-10-19 17:12:30.000 - Brian Fitzgerald,  Weather Observer/Education Specialist Observer Mike and Intern Tom working up top. Icing season is upon us here on top of Mount Washington, and while we have been preparing for this for the past few months there is always more to do. Today Staff Meteorologist and Observer Mike Carmon and Intern Tom Padham have been busy taking care of a couple instruments ahead of some heavy icing events that we are expecting over the next few days. For a fairer-weather instruments, many have been brought inside ahead of the impending cold, while other experimental

Expo, Continued 2013-10-18 13:24:28.000 - Cyrena Briede,  Director of Summit Operations Good Morning once again from Brussels! The last day of the Meteorological Technology Expo was just as exciting as the first two, and I have had the pleasure of meeting many new instrumentation manufacturers and companies from all over the world. I have also really enjoyed being able to reconnect with ones I have met or worked with in the past. It's great how these expos and conferences can be like a reunion at times.I also gave my presentation today, introducing the Mount Washington Observatory to people from all

Meteorological Technology Expo 2013-10-17 15:18:05.000 - Cyrena Briede,  Director of Summit Operations NULL 'Bon soir' from Brussels, Belgium, where the world's largest international meteorological technology expo is currently taking place! This three day event that I am attending has brought together instrumentation manufacturers from all over the world, from the USA to the Netherlands to Korea.Everywhere you look, you see thermometers, hygrometers, anemometers, pyranometers... there are even a few other '-ometers' out there that are brand new technology!It's critical for Mount Washington Observatory to be here and stay on top of the new technologies for several reasons. For one, it's

Valley Fog and Summit Sun 2013-10-16 16:48:57.000 - Mike Carmon,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist NULL Today was shift change day for summit staff.Our shift began the day in the valleys below, and our trip to the base of the mountain included low-hanging stratus clouds, patches of fog, and periods of drizzle. We pondered how dense the fog was atop the summit, thinking we would not be met with anything but the thick, soupy variety of fog.However, as we ascended the Auto Road, we noticed the fog was actually beginning to thin out as we approached the 4000 foot mark on the road.

Meow! 2013-10-15 17:13:11.000 - Marty,  Summit Cat Practicing My Purrrrple Steel Pose Meooow from the summit. I know it has been a while since I talked to you last, so I wanted to check in. Life on the summit is wonderful as usual and I am enjoying the tranquility of the building as the season changes. While I love the bustle of a summer's day, the fall allows me to purrrrsue some of my extra curricular activities like mousing, eating, and sleeping. Not to worry though, I still makes my rounds of the building while it is open. I wouldn't

Summit Museum Demolition Begins! 2013-10-14 10:38:51.000 - Will Broussard,  Outreach Coordinator NULL On Monday, October 7th, 5 members of the Appalachian Mountain Club's Construction Crew arrived for a week of disassembly and demolition of the Mount Washington Observatory Summit Museum, ahead of the planned opening of Extreme Mount Washington in the spring of 2014.From Monday to Thursday these hardy men and women have been working to take down the last vestiges of exhibit staging areas, casing, retail structures, and the triple flight staircase leading to them all. At the end of each day they share dinner with the Observatory Staff

Princess Of The Mountain 2013-10-13 17:32:03.000 - Rebecca Scholand,  Weather Observer/Education Specialist My Protector In A Moat Of Clouds Working on the summit and being one of the few females, I frequently find myself as 'one of the guys'. While I might act like one the guys from time to time, my mind still tends to have girlie daydreams. This morning was no exception as I walked out onto the observation deck for my first observation. Looking out to the horizon, the day was just beginning as light filtered over the horizon. Below me, a sea of clouds obstructed the

Open Or Closed? 2013-10-12 17:20:31.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist A guest this afternoon looks over a sea of clouds. Reading over our Facebook comments and emails, there seems to be some confusion concerning our operating status as well as others directly around us during the Federal Government Shutdown we (the United States) are currently experiencing. So, let me hopefully clear up some of that confusion by pulling together all the available resources I can find for the summit and surrounding mountain community - most of which remain open amid the Federal Government Shutdown.Let's start with us - we are

From 0 To 10 2013-10-11 23:49:28.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist NULL I have been working on the summit since December of 2005, and in that time I have seen my fair share of sunrises and sunsets. After viewing each one, I will typically make a mental note how it rates on a scale from 0 to 10; zero being a foggy sunrise/set and a 10 being something that leaves me and others speechless. With the summit in the fog over 60 percent of the year, I have witnessed several "zeroes." I have also witnessed plenty of "ones" - those