Happy July! 2013-07-01 17:47:54.000 - Matthew Cann,  Summit Intern View looking west from the parapet As we transition into the new month of July, we remain stuck in this seemingly unbreakable weather pattern. The offshore flow continues to bring moisture into the Northeast, and, when paired with the hot summer air, provides the perfect conditions for heavy rain and thunderstorms to develop. As a result the region has recently been dominated by flash flood and severe thunderstorm warnings. With the month of July ahead of us it is increasingly important to keep an eye out for severe weather. In the

Making Progress 2013-06-30 16:10:07.000 - Tom Padham,  Summit Intern Diapensia overlooking the Great Gulf Now that the month of June is just about done, I've had about a month and a half to work on my project, and things are starting to come together pretty nicely. For my intern project this summer I've been tasked with looking at the nature of the gustiness of winds on the summit. The wind on the summit can be sustained at 100mph for example, but on one day it may frequently gust only to 110 and another it could be gusting to 130 or

Stormy Weather 2013-06-29 18:53:32.000 - Mike Dorfman,  Weather Observer A Pot of Gold at Nelson Crag? What a better time for lightning week than this week? Sandwiched between a high pressure system offshore, spinning clockwise, and a low pressure system to our northwest, spinning counterclockwise, the northeast is getting a direct shot of maritime air. A southwesterly flow is allowing extremely humid air to flow through the northeast. June is also the time of year when the sun is highest in the sky and strongest. As sunlight warms up the surface of the earth during the day, the warm air

Lightning Week 2013 Continues! 2013-06-28 18:17:28.000 - Luke Davis,  Summit Intern Developing Storms East of the Carter-Moriah Range Yesterday's clouds, seen in the attached photo, may not have produced any thunderstorms in our vicinity, but it demonstrates just how chaotic the weather can be in the summer time. With the chance for severe storms throughout the next several days, and as we're approaching the first full weekend after most schools have finished classes, lightning safety is as important as ever. The science behind the formation of lightning is not yet fully understood, but meteorologists and researchers today have a general

When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors! 2013-06-26 17:56:21.000 - Brian Fitzgerald,  Weather Observer/Education Specialist Courtesy: National Weather Service This week we're expecting a conveyor belt of tropical moisture to continue to stream into our region as a cut-off low pressure system will churn over the Great Lakes well into next week. This warm, moist flow will translate into a daily likelihood for showers and thunderstorms in our region, which is perfect timing for Lightning Safety Awareness week! Even in a place as unbelievably windy and cold as the summit of Mount Washington, lightning is easily the most dangerous weather phenomena we

It's an exciting time for Mount Washington Observatory 2013-06-25 17:34:58.000 - Scot Henley,  Executive Director Photo Credit: Tom Guilmette It's an exciting time for Mount Washington Observatory.With successful classroom education programs, distance learning, workshops, incredible trips to our mountaintop weather station, and the hands-on Weather Discovery Center in downtown North Conway, the Observatory is delivering on its educational mission like never before. Nearly 200,000 people learn about the science of climate and weather from Mount Washington Observatory each year. That is an accomplishment we are very proud of, and we thank you for helping us reach this milestone.Today we stand

Volunteer Comments 2013-06-24 19:29:14.000 - Ruth S. Innes,  Summit Volunteer NULL Mount Washington is an awesome place for one to visit, work and/or volunteer.As a volunteer with the Mount Washington Observatory, you not only 'perfect' your cooking skills, but you also will have the opportunity to experience the unique climate of the place that was considered sacred to the Abenaki. The staff will patiently explain what is happening (weather wise) and why weather occurs as it does. I spent a lot of time watching the various weather displays as the weather changed rapidly from clear to cloudy and perhaps back

Wind, Lightning, And A Rainbow 2013-06-23 22:05:08.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist Microburst from this afternoon's thunderstorm. It was an active afternoon of weather to say the least. A cold front sweeping through brought a line of thunderstorms to the state providing heavy rain, large hail, high winds, and continuous lightning. As far as the summit is concerned, we received three out of the four elements as the line swept through. First came the rain. It started slow then picked up in intensity until it started falling heavily. As rain ramped up, the lightning came next. Again, it started slowly;

Busy Day 2013-06-22 16:47:16.000 - Rebecca Scholand,  Weather Observer/Education Specialist Live With WMTW and WHOM The summit has been a busy place for the past few days. Personally, I think my head is still spinning from all the excitement. Yesterday I had an early wake up call that had me outside at 0430 where I had the opportunity to accompany Matt Zidle on air with WMTW Channel 8. While on the top of the tower, I was able to discuss our wind instrumentation. After I was done with WMTW, I headed out to the Sherman Adams rotunda to talk with

Alex Carne observer comment 2013-06-21 18:43:52.000 - Alex Carne,  Summit Intern June 21st sunrise Today is an exciting day, it is the summer solstice for the northern hemisphere! The summer solstice marks the first day of summer, and is the longest day of the year here on Mount Washington. The sun rose today at 4:55AM and will set at 8:38PM this evening. I have always wanted to watch both the sunrise and sunset on the summer solstice, and a high pressure system over the region has provided ideal conditions to do so. I awoke this morning at 4:30AM, layered up,