Field Trip Field Report 2013-09-14 18:42:02.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist Field Trip to NWS, Gray, ME A common misconception people have of the Mount Washington Observatory is that we're funded purely from the National Weather Service (NWS). This is not the case though; the Mount Washington Observatory is a private, non-profit, membership based organization. However, we do maintain a yearly contract with the NWS to provide them with our hourly weather observations and weather documents for a minimum amount of compensation. The weather data provided to them is then fed into the NWS regional and national forecasting models (GFS,

Educational Opportunity To Increase Safe Recreational Use of Mount Washington 2013-09-13 17:51:10.000 - Rebecca Scholand,  Weather Observer/Education Specialist Putting my weather & avalanche knowledge to use. Being the Educational Specialist, I am always excited when I can promote educational material. Three years ago, the White Mountain Avalanche Education Fund was established by the White Mountain National Forest's Mount Washington Avalanche Center to educate kids in the Northeast about avalanches. Focusing on students who look to take their sport into avalanche terrain, this year's Eastern Snow and Avalanche Workshop (ESAW) on November 9th has the opportunity for 15 scholarships. For the

Lightning Can Hit the Same Place Twice!! 2013-09-12 16:42:03.000 - Pratik Patel,  Summit Intern Mesoscale Activity Map After a very hot and humid afternoon, the atmosphere was perfectly set up to bring severe weather throughout last night. Isolated thunderstorms were prominent on the summits bringing some heavy rain and strong winds. The night sky was lit up so bright at times from frequent lightning, that it felt as if someone was turning the lights on and off in a pitch black room. By the morning the summits seemed quiet, but strong gusts did occur for very brief periods of time.

Field Trip 2013-09-11 22:01:39.000 - Mike Carmon,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist NULL Today is Wednesday, which is ordinarily shift change day for summit staff. The up-going shift meets at the base of the mountain, and ascends the Auto Road during the early morning hours, meeting the down-going shift at the front of the Sherman Adams building.Shift-change Wednesday is generally an information exchange between both shifts, through a series of meetings, which are vital to ensure a smooth transition and minimize any lapses in operation. However, today is an exception to the rule, and a very special shift-change day. Instead of the normal

Volunteer Week 2013-09-10 16:12:46.000 - Dave and Bob,  Summit Volunteers NULL What a week it's been. On a blue sky Wednesday morning we met the crew, loaded groceries, gear, and us into the van, and drove up the Auto Road with the folks who would be our companions for the following seven days. The abyss of Great Gulf and the brutes that are the northern Presidentials seemed intent on intimidating all who saw them, and in our case they succeeded. If you've been here you know that anyone who disparages these mountains because they don't reach extreme heights doesn't know

Roller Coaster Ride of Weather 2013-09-09 17:18:32.000 - Tom Padham,  Summit Intern A sleet drift late in the day Sunday This week has been a roller coaster ride of weather, with winds ranging from nearly calm to 85 miles per hour, and the summit seeing rain, sleet, freezing rain, and even small hail all in a single day (Sunday). Yesterday we were below freezing for most of the day, allowing for rime and glaze ice to coat the top 500 feet or so of the summit. This small taste of winter was short lived however, as temperatures rebounded very nicely

No sunsets, but high wind, sub-freezing temps, ice and sleet! 2013-09-08 16:10:59.000 - Brian Fitzgerald,  Weather Observer/Education Specialist Observer Mike Carmon observing lenticular clouds. While there may not have been a visible sunset last evening, there was plenty of weather excitement during the Observatory's annual Sunset Soiree. Guests of the Observatory were greeted at the summit with temperatures falling through the mid 40s and winds sustained between 50-65 miles per hour. Those who were willing to brave the winds on the observation deck had a spectacular view of lenticular clouds forming above the Wildcat and Presidential ranges. Fast forward to

My First Four Days 2013-09-07 20:58:56.000 - Samuel Hewitt,  Summit Intern NULL Born and raised in seacoast New Hampshire, I have experienced a variety of severe weather phenomena, including thunderstorms and nor'easters. They say that if you don't like the weather in New England, wait 5 minutes and it will change. Up here on the summit however, it is a whole different story. In the blink of an eye the summit can go from being engulfed in fog, to in the clear with visibilities of over 100 miles! It is hard to believe that at night, lights from ships in

Fall has Arrived! 2013-09-06 17:09:41.000 - Tom Padham,  Summit Intern NULL This first Friday of September definitely felt like summer was behind us, as the observers awoke to temperatures in the mid-20s and even a small amount of rime ice on the deck. Despite the cold conditions, it was actually a very beautiful morning. With the sun rising later each morning, my normal schedule allows me to stroll up to the weather room just in time for sunrise this time of year. This morning I was able to quickly run outside and grab a few photos of the first rime

A Glimpse of Winter to Come 2013-09-05 15:31:03.000 - Mike Carmon,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist This Morning's Glaze Ice The calendar has turned to September, which serves as an excellent reminder that winter can rear its head on the summit at any time during the calendar year. It does not wait for December!Today was a quintessential example of this. Despite the fact that it is only September 5th, temperatures early this morning fell to 29F behind a passing cold front, which harbored an unseasonably chilly air mass from Canada. With fog teasing the summits during this sub-freezing period, some very light glaze