Volunteer Week Thoughts 2013-01-30 22:40:45.000 - Hilary Clark,  Summit Volunteer Our smallest "Observer" taking a cat nap. This past week was my second winter volunteer week. This shift has been all about the wind. Previously I had experienced high winds for one day but this shift saw five days of winds hitting 60-100 mph. Add that to the frigid temperatures and our choices of activities were limited.Over the last five days I have loved the energy of the high winds and cold temperatures. No matter where I was in the observatory, I could hear the wind. When there was a

Observations/Notes From Betty Olivolo, First-Time Winter Volunteer! 2013-01-29 12:52:48.000 - Betty Olivolo,  Summit Volunteer Day 1-- Most amazing for me on my first day were the temps and wind-- 35 below, 70 mph wind, wind chill 86 below!! We had lots of TV/radio stations calling us, and got on Channel 5 Boston. Day 2-- There were even higher winds today with even more amazing visibility! Staff were very busy with media--we were live on CNN and Channel 7 in Boston! Hilary (my friend and cookmate) and I tried going up into the tower to see out, but only managed to

Warm Up Ahead 2013-01-27 23:34:44.000 - Mike Carmon,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist NULL It's hard to believe what's in the forecast.When we arrived on the summit nearly four-and-a-half days ago, the thermometer read a frosty 35 degrees below zero F. Wind chills were somewhere around 85 below F, and exposed skin while outdoors was absolutely forbidden.Now, an inexplicable warming trend is in the cards, with temperatures expected to rise above freezing on Tuesday, and readings approaching 40 degrees F possible on Wednesday!The recent stretch of relatively precipitation-free weather, which often comes with such an arctic cold snap due to the lack of

Temperature Swings 2013-01-26 17:29:00.000 - Steve Welsh,  Weather Observer/IT Specialist NULL After a dusting of snow last night the morning started out very pleasant with temperatures between 5 and 10 below zero and just a light 20 mph breeze from the NW. The views were very pleasant although it's a shock to see how little snow is left around the higher peaks with lots of rocks and sedge showing along with large patches of ice. Looking at the extended forecast it looks like we'll be well above the freezing mark on Wednesday with rain likely too. January has certainly been

Media Frenzy 2013-01-25 18:14:04.000 - Brian Fitzgerald,  Weather Observer/Education Specialist Weather Observer/Movie Star during an interview. Every shift up here on the rockpile is unique, and this week is no exception. Likely by the time things are all said and done and we're on our way down the mountain for our week off next Wednesday we'll be sure to dub this 'the week of the media storm.'Being the small, member-driven non-profit we are it can seem pretty daunting when organizations like CNN, The Boston Globe, WHDH Boston, WBZ Boston, WMUR, HLN TV, Inside Edition, The Conway Daily Sun and WCVB

Cold and Windy on the Summit 2013-01-24 17:59:39.000 - Mike Dorfman,  Summit Intern The Observeratory Door in -30 Degree Temperatures When I went outside to help sling for an observation this morning, I was caught by surprise by the strong northwest winds. In order for the sling to work, which measures humidity from the difference in temperature from a dry thermometer and a wet thermometer, I must make the measurement in the shade. Unfortunately, the only significant shade nearby this morning was behind a protrusion on the other side of the deck. Taking one step out of the wind shadow

Cold Risks 2013-01-24 00:38:59.000 - Mike Carmon,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist NWS Wind Chill Chart It's no secret that today (Wednesday) was a chilly one on the summit. With a low of -35 degrees F, we experienced some of the coldest temperatures of the last few years. With arctic temperatures and high winds come a slew of dangers, many of which are commonly overlooked. So, let these comments serve as a reminder to just how perilous Mt. Washington can be in its most sinister moments.The human body is not bred for very cold temperatures, and is not designed to adapt to such

Jack Frost Is On The Way To The Area 2013-01-22 23:39:25.000 - Roger Pushor,  Weather Observer/IT Specialist Current conditions at 9:30pm EST. As I write this, we're already at -24F and falling rapidly while winds are howling outside at 79 mph and gusting to nearly 90. I just looked at the models with fellow Observer, Ryan Knapp, and the models are predicting a range of -32F to -35F for the overnight lows and winds are expected to be in 50 to 70 mile per hour range; which they've already exceeded with higher gusts. Right now we're seeing wind chills of

Brush Up On Your Knowledge 2013-01-21 18:32:45.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist The Red Brush - My favorite new tool. This week, we got a new tool on the summit. So what is it, you might ask? A new anemometer? A new forecasting model? A new crowbar? Nope, none of these things. The new tool I am referring to is a brush. Yep, you read that correctly, a brush. A simple, run of the mill, plastic handled, bristle ended brush; the kind you can pick up at any gas station or quick-e-mart around the country. So, why am I so

Football Brings Us Together Despite The Distance 2013-01-20 21:57:09.000 - Rebecca Scholand,  Weather Observer/Education Specialist My crew and I watching tonights football game. Tonight I am going to divert from talking about the weather or the mountain and touch on the human side of living on an arctic island in the clouds. Working and living on the summit for eight days at a time, we spend 209 days a year living on the summit and 156 days living in the valley. One can sometimes feel disconnected from valley life away from friends and family; and keeping in touch through social