Fog 2013-03-05 17:11:06.000 - Rebecca Scholand,  Weather Observer/Education Specialist NULL It has been a long week of fog settled on the summit. Since arriving Wednesday, we have only seen three hours without fog. Average visibility has been under a 1/16th of a mile and feels like a blind fold has been placed over the summit. With not much to see outside, observations definitely take less time. However, constant fog and below freezing temperatures have allowed for ample amounts of rime ice to accumulate. De-icing the top of the tower can take a significant amount of time.Although our pitot tube anemometer

Aliens, Snow, and Food = Good Times! 2013-03-04 23:12:58.000 - Dave MacKenzie,  Summit Volunteer NULL So here I am on top of the 'Rock Pile' (sometimes known as Mt. Washington). Being indoors a bit this week, several thoughts have been brought out as to the origins of this 'rock pile'...Is this the un-completed work of the Aliens that came so many years ago, to build the Pyramids, but this pile got the low-bid Contractor, who couldn't figure out how to stack them into the proper shape, as was done in Egypt? And so this guy just threw them in a

Cabin Fever 2013-03-03 18:22:23.000 - Michael Kyle,  Summit Intern NULL For the past four day's fog has engulfed the summit. Repetitive forecasts have made the days long and redundant, leaving some of us with a case of 'cabin fever'. However, if you think about it, cabin fever isn't the appropriate term to use. According to the Merriam-Webster's dictionary, cabin fever is defined as 'extreme irritability and restlessness from living in isolation or a confined indoor area for a prolonged time.'While the observatory is an isolated location and the current observers and volunteers have yet to leave the summit this week,

Staying On The Summit 2013-03-02 23:07:59.000 - Roger Pushor,  Weather Observer/IT Specialist NULL There are a couple of good options if you'd like to spend an overnight on the summit of Mount Washington. There are the ever popular EduTrips with themes ranging from Weather Basics to Photography. On these trips, transportation to and from the summit is provided via the Mount Washington Observatories Snow Cat. However, if you prefer a slower pace, you can join one of the Partner Led Climbing trips, where you get to hike to the summit with professional guides.All of these trips include a snack and

The Journey Is A Destination 2013-03-01 19:37:09.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist 5.4 miles away from my second home. This past week, I got to hang out with a former Observatory coworker of mine, Jim Salge. Long time followers of the Observer Comments will know this name and probably know many of his images that he captured during his time up here. Currently, Jim teaches at a High School in the south of the state; however, in his spare time, he has become a notable New England nature photographer (a topic he will be leading during his EduTrip on March

Cold Snap Coming To The Southeast 2013-02-28 18:13:08.000 - Michael Kyle,  Summit Intern Graphic Courtesy Of The Nation Weather Service The Northeast is accustomed to the cold temperatures of winter and so far this season we have seen our fair share of cold days. In just the past three weeks the Northeast, along with many other regions of the country have seen multiple snowstorms. Here on the summit the mercury has dropped to some of the coldest temperatures seen in recent years. With the recent weather patterns nearly the entire country has experienced a cold snap; except the Southeast. The

Avalanche Safety Class 2013-02-27 17:58:19.000 - Rebecca Scholand,  Weather Observer/Education Specialist NULL I have now been working on the summit of Mount Washington for three winters and have seen most of what Mount Washington can offer. I have seen wind speeds as high as 140mph, temperatures as low as 35F degrees below zero, and blowing snow so dense, visibility is next to nothing. However, the one thing I have yet to see is an avalanche; and I hope to keep it that way. This past off week I participated in one of the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education's

Volunteer Comments 2013-02-27 00:21:51.000 - Bill Ofsiany,  Summit Volunteer NULL Meteorology, like most of the sciences deals with numbers; things that can be made into graphs. Wind speed in miles per hour or meters per second, millibars, visibility in miles, temperature in degrees, dew points and relative humidity, rainfall and snowfall in inches or feet, are all objective. These are the things that can be measured. That is the realm of science. But there is something else up here, that only those who have been here can experience; the subjective parts of weather. When the wind speed gets up in

THE EduTrip for Educators! 2013-02-24 16:44:56.000 - Will Broussard,  Outreach Educator NULL It has been a beautiful winter weekend atop New England's highest peak. We expected more 'exciting' weather to accompany our sixth Edutrip of the winter season, but we will certainly take what we can get! With temperatures in the mid-20s, slight winds, light snowfall and visibility around half a mile, conditions have been reminiscent of a calm winter day in the valley. Due to low icing conditions and very little wind, the observers had the opportunity to install the mechanical wind sensor, which measures wind speed and direction

Webcams 2013-02-23 17:34:17.000 - Steve Welsh,  Weather Observer/IT Specialist NULL Today has been one of those foggy nondescript sort of days with nothing much happening weather wise. We've all been watching the latest weather models and wondering how much snow we'll pick up tomorrow - looks like somewhere around 6 inches or so up here. With temperatures in the 20s and only light winds some of it may stick around for a while too instead of being blown straight off into the ravines.This shift, amongst other things, I've been working on code to collect images for a replacement camera that