The Darkness Cometh 2012-10-14 20:56:12.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist A typical week on the summit has a crew that consists of three weather Observers, an intern and one to two volunteers (FYI - in the summer, we gain one additional intern and a museum attendant). Among this small group of people, we divide ourselves into two shifts so we can maintain our hourly weather observations around the clock as we have for the past 80+ years. The two shifts consist of a day shift (two Observers and an intern) that starts at 0630 EDT (0530 EST) and lasts until

New Daily Record Low 2012-10-13 19:07:00.000 - Roger Pushor,  Weather Observer/IT Specialist Daily Record Low of 7.4 degrees Early on the morning of Saturday October 13th, we set a new Daily Record Low for this day of 7 degrees. The previous Daily Record Low was 8 degrees. So how much did we really break the record by you ask. Well record highs and lows are kept to the nearest whole degree and the temperature we read off the Low Thermometer was 7.4 degrees and that rounded down to 7 degrees. Had it read 7.5 degrees or higher we'd only tied

Technology. Can't live with it. Can't live without it. 2012-10-12 18:12:24.000 - Brian Fitzgerald,  Weather Observer/Education Specialist Confused yet? So am I. Up high at the Mount Washington Observatory we are surrounded by all forms of technology- some forms simple, while some forms are a bit more complex. The Observatory houses everything from radio antennas, microwave-link dishes, Polycom videoconferencing technology, digital barometers, anemometers to more low-tech items like mercury thermometers and mechanical barographs and wind charts. Given our isolated nature on the Rockpile it's extremely important as Weather Observers that we know how to operate, and perhaps more importantly, fix

The Best Season, Hands Down 2012-10-11 18:34:38.000 - Stephen Lanciani,  Summit Intern A tale of two elevations Ever since I was young I have loved the Fall season. The leaves change color, humidity drops, and it holds my birthday in September. Plus, who doesn't love a cool, crisp autumn day when the wind tickles your nose with the smell of cider and apple pie? Until recently, these reasons among others made me enjoy this season the most. I used to only appreciate the changing of the seasons for what they were at normal elevations, but things have changed since coming

Fall into Winter 2012-10-10 23:39:40.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist Monday nights Aurora, as seen from the valleys. It always feels odd coming back to work after vacation; readjusting my sleeping pattern, readjusting to waking up with a clock, packing up work clothes and gear in a backpack the night prior to summiting, answering emails that went unchecked or unanswered, and then trying to play catch-up at meetings where one week alone can bring drastically different outcomes than what you remember when you left. Playing into all these readjustments is the weather. As I was unpacking my work bag last

The Greatest Gig 2012-10-09 17:28:53.000 - Tim Myers,  Summit Volunteer Supercooled Sunrise 10/7/2012 6:50 AM The guidelines for volunteers are published, tried, and true.They work. Previous volunteers know this.I will share my notes, photos, and asides here.There is structure in the way work takes place here. Atmospheric science relies on it. Lives of the visitors and staff depend on it.Help in any small way you can.Do bring a camera! Pay close attention to witness phenomena of any size.Observe the little things underfoot swords of rime. The observatory tours start with a description of how the mountain accentuates the wind. It

A Spectacular 24 Hours 2012-10-08 23:13:07.000 - Mike Carmon,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist Tonight's Aurora It's been quite a thrilling 24 hours up here on Mt. Washington.Even though I've been working up here for as long as I have, with many shift weeks consisting of 8 days completely ensconced in the fog with not a thing to see, there comes those times where it's an absolute pleasure to exist up on the rock pile.Last night, snow started to descend around 9:30 P.M., and continued to fall until 3 A.M. In that time, we received about 4 inches of powder, which remained light

The Life of a Volunteer 2012-10-06 23:04:16.000 - John Donovan,  Summit Volunteer NULL Well, as an MWOBS member, one of the opportunities is to volunteer for service on a shift at the one and only Mount Washington Observatory. Once assigned a shift, you then wait in eager anticipation for the day to come. A volunteer's responsibilities include cooking for the Obs crew, light cleaning, and maybe some painting if needed (don't bring your good clothes for that). In exchange, you get to know the really knowledgeable weather crew, and hang out on the 'Rockpile' Home of the World's Worst Weather.So,

The Summit Experience 2012-10-05 21:14:48.000 - Samantha Brady,  Summit Museum Supervisor NULL Everyday on the summit of Mount Washington is an adventure. As the Museum Attendant, you may think I get to experience the changing of the weather as much as the observers, but that would be incorrect. Working on the summit in the museum requires long days working in a basement with no windows. I must ask almost everyone I see who walks down my stairs what the weather is like outside. Some understand why I ask, and others look at me with a very confused look on their

The World's Worst Weather 2012-10-04 21:47:15.000 - Mike Dorfman,  Summit Intern NULL Mount Washington is known for having the worst weather in the world. A relatively 'calm' 40 mph summer day can give a taste of how much more extreme summit weather can be from valley weather. This weather happens primarily for three reasons, the summit's prominence, its exposure and its storm tracks. At 6,288 feet, the summit is the highest point in the northeast. Normally, wind is slowed by friction from the ground. Air that collides with the summit has not been slowed by this friction, which allows for