Winter Wonderland 2013-10-26 17:40:58.000 - Pratik Patel,  Summit Intern Mt. Clay, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Adams, Mt. Madison Having the summits engulfed in fog for several hours this morning, we finally caught a lucky break and got an opportunity to see the presidentials with snow and rime on them. However, as the Alberta Clipper to the north of our location passes by, a cold front will move through the region bringing foggy conditions, bitter cold winds and snow showers back to the summits. Still, we did get a chance to enjoy this unmistakable view of the mountains and admire the beauty

Goodbye Summer, Hello Winter 2013-10-25 19:47:39.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist Our wintry drive up Wednesday. I always say the summit has two seasons - summer and winter; and our past two shifts are a perfect example of this. Our last shift (9 October through 16 October), temperatures were running some 10 to 15 degrees above normal. This meant that daytime highs were running in the 40s and 50s (Fahrenheit) with the overnight lows remaining in the upper 30s to mid-40s. Additionally, winds remained low (less than 20 mph the entire time we were here) and we were more clear

My First Turn 2013-10-24 17:55:18.000 - Rebecca Scholand,  Weather Observer/Education Specialist My First Turn Well it happened, my first ski turn of the season! With the weather depositing rime and a slight coating of snow, there was just enough to cover a small path. It may not have been technical, but gravity pulled me down the slope and that is what counts. Today's turn marks the second turn of the season, as Kevin from State Park made first tracks yesterday. If this isn't impressive for the sake of skiing, it should be a reminder that the weather on the summit

Change Of Season 2013-10-23 21:22:53.000 - Rebecca Scholand,  Weather Observer/Education Specialist Summit Crew Putting On Chains Today marked yet another checkpoint on our way to winter - putting chains on the tires. While I am an over the top advocate of winter weather, I hate putting on chains! First, there is nothing more annoying than getting my clothing dirty before I ever reach the summit. Putting on chains requires one to lie on the ground to wrestle dirty hooks and clasps into place. Second, it seems that no matter how neatly the chains are put away into their bin, they

Downbursts on the Summit 2013-10-22 18:33:15.000 - Mike Dorfman,  Weather Observer (Left) Wind Speed Spike (Right) Pressure Spike Have you ever been in a thunderstorm and, right before it starts raining, a very strong gust of wind blows through, thrashing trees and quite possibly breaking branches? These events, called downbursts, are often the most damaging part of a thunderstorm, forming in front of a thunderstorm by a column of rapidly descending air. These can also occur on the summit however they, along with the rest of the weather above tree line, are much more extreme compared to their counterparts at

The Early Climatology of The Summit 2013-10-21 16:36:25.000 - Samuel Hewitt,  Summit Intern Observations from February 10, 1944 Since 1932 here on the summit, an observer has gone outside once an hour, 24 hours a day, 365 days per year to take a weather observation. In that time, we have collected nearly 81 years of data; one of the longest, continuously running climate records in the nation. This data is very important to us, as it can be used for research. Currently, intern Tom Padham is using the summits wind data to evaluate its gustiness, so that one day we

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