Changes on the Way 2013-05-08 06:22:44.000 - Mike Carmon,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist NULL An incredible stretch will come to an end later today.The month of May still has yet to see any fog for the summit of Mt. Washington, and we are eight days into the month, at a location where we observe fog for an average of 60% of the year.In fact, one has to look all the way back to April 29th, when the summit went in the fog for a mere 95 minutes, to find any trace of the shrouded phenomenon. However, looking at the models, this streak

The Observatory heads to Western Alaska! 2013-05-06 17:48:47.000 - Brian Fitzgerald,  Weather Observer/Education Specialist Cherfonak, Alaska! The Observatory's Distance Learning Program is excited to announce that we'll be reaching out to another notoriously harsh climate-- Alaska! For the first time in our program's history we'll be connecting with not only 'The Last Frontier' state, but with a program sponsored by the University of Alaska with funding through the U.S. Department of Education. More specifically, tomorrow in the late afternoon (mid-day for the students) we'll connect with 20 students in Chefornak, Alaska, a village of around 400 native-Alaskans in coastal and

Nighttime Photography on the Summit 2013-05-05 17:06:20.000 - Mike Dorfman,  Weather Observer Observer Mike D. Poses for a Long Exposure Picture As a new night observer on the summit, I have quickly realized that the night sky and nighttime landscape, when visible, are an incredible sight. The plain blue sky that surrounds us during the day can turn into a sea of sparkling stars once the sun sets, and the surrounding landscape, barely visible under moon or starlight, turns into an eerie backdrop for my nighttime observations. Although I am quite busy at night, my midnight lunch break involves grabbing

Unusual, But In a Good Way! 2013-05-04 20:45:46.000 - Tom Padham,  Summit Intern 100 mile visibility! Starting to notice the unusually long stretch of quiet weather? We certainly are here on the summit, with the past 8 days not seeing any precipitation. Looking at the forecast, it may not be until mid-week that we have any real chance at rainfall (possibly 12 days). So with that said the potential exists for our shift to go more than an entire shift week (Wednesday to Wednesday) without seeing a single drop of rain or snowflake. After asking around, none of the observers

THE Kitty's Summery Thoughts 2013-05-03 15:54:40.000 - Marty,  Summit Cat Well, Hello! Summer is nearly here, and I am purrrfectly content!This week, the observers have begun to make some more preparations for the summer season, but I cannot be bothered with all of that--I have way too much lounging to do.With the sun shining high in the sky this week, I've been able to venture outside every day and search for some flying squirrels. I have to be sure that my claws are sufficiently sharpened for the upcoming season, when I'm sure to see many more of them!That's right, all

Thinkin' of ya, Old Man. 2013-05-02 17:29:39.000 - Brian Fitzgerald,  Weather Observer/Education Specialist Cannon Cliff, where the Old Man once stood. Writing from the top of one truly New Hampshire institution to another, tomorrow marks the 10th anniversary of the collapse of the Old Man of the Mountain in Franconia Notch. The great profile stood, and still stands, as a cultural icon for the state of New Hampshire, with its chiseled and weathered face. Since the first recorded sighting of the old man in 1805, the old man inspired the imaginations of countless visitors to the site, including Daniel Webster

Thank you! 2013-05-01 20:35:43.000 - Mike Dorfman,  Weather Observer NULL First and foremost, thank you! Our year-end fundraising campaign was a success, raising more than $35,000 through over 400 individual donations. With over 80 years of history on the summit, if it weren't for our generous members and donors, we simply would not be able to exist up here. Whether you're an annual donor or just a fan of the observatory, thank you for supporting us.Shift change today went relatively smoothly. It was the first time since the fall that we were able to take our four wheel drive van,

Volunteer Week 2013-04-30 14:52:45.000 - Steve Hill,  Summit Volunteer Skiing in the Snowfields This, like all my shifts as a Summit Volunteer, started with an early morning drive from Waterbury Center, Vermont, to the Auto Road base. From there things started to change as I met new staff and my volunteer partner, Neil. We loaded our gear and this week's food into the van and pickup truck. This trip up the Auto Road was in two phases, 1st we drove the van as far as the Horn near the 4,000 foot level, where the snow tractor was parked. We transferred

In-Between Season 2013-04-29 16:35:31.000 - Neil Lovett,  Summit Volunteer Melting Ice Simplicity is sort of a lost art these days. I am fortunate to be on The Rock Pile this time of year. I have gotten a unique opportunity to watch what can be the harshest of all winters on this planet morph into a gentler, more forgiving spring. While here this week, I've listened as ice turned to frigid water and cold snows disappear.Replacing the snow and ice is budding life, the birth of Spring, so complicated, yet so simple if you try not to understand why it happens,

In The Blink Of An Eye 2013-04-28 18:18:11.000 - Michael Kyle,  Summit Intern NULL I decide to take advantage of the beautiful weather yesterday and hike to Mount Jefferson. I left early in the morning and when I returned that afternoon, I found a different Mountain Washington. As Observer Rebecca mentioned yesterday, the summit of Mount Washington has preliminarily begun its summer 2013 season (however, it should be noted that the Sherman Adams building isn't 100% open quite yet). As the days continue to get longer and the weather nicer, more and more people are making their way up to