Internship Memories 2012-09-30 22:03:47.000 - Brian Clark,  Weather Observer/Education Specialist Me in the East Snowfields, March 7, 2006 In case you're just tuning in, after nearly five and a half years (plus an internship) this shift is my last working for the Observatory. So, I have been taking the opportunity to look back on my time with the organization, and so far I have been talking particularly about how I ended up working for the Observatory in the first place. I really hope that my posts have been half as interesting to you as they have been therapeutic for me;

Releasing a Weather Balloon at NWS Gray 2012-09-29 19:32:39.000 - Roger Pushor,  Weather Observer/IT Specialist Inflating a Weather Balloon at NWS Gray I'm going to break from the tradition of Observers writing about what's happening at the top of the 'rock' pile today and talk about an experience I had during my last off week.It was Thursday morning and I had gotten up early to a perfect day - The skies were clear, with low winds and the temperature was mild. Before I left for my week off I had made arrangements to pick up some equipment and the National

An Incredible Interview Experience 2012-09-28 21:45:11.000 - Brian Clark,  Weather Observer/Education Specialist Shift Change Day, November 23, 2005 Yesterday I talked about my first Mount Washington experience in the spring of 2005. My second Mount Washington Experience? That came about 6 months later.I remember sitting in my mesoscale meteorology class in October of 2005, which happened to meet in a computer lab. As was probably the case way too often for me, I was not paying as much attention as I should have been and was instead using the computer. Stealthily, of course. On this particular day, I was checking

My First Trip to Mount Washington 2012-09-27 23:37:16.000 - Brian Clark,  Weather Observer/Education Specialist My First Trip to Mount Washington, May 2005 Transitions within the summit staff are particularly difficult. This is because of a number of factors, not the least of which is the simple fact that there's only so much knowledge a person can bring into a job here. In other words, the vast majority of the things that one needs to learn to be an observer need to be learned on Mount Washington, on the job. Because of this, I made my decision to leave the Observatory

The Beginning of the End 2012-09-26 21:27:54.000 - Brian Clark,  Weather Observer/Education Specialist NULL The beginning of the end. The first of the last. Call it what you will; today was the start of my last shift working on the summit. I know that it has been mentioned a couple times by others in the Observer Comments over the last month or so, but this is the first time that I've personally mentioned it on here. After nearly five and a half years of full-time work on the summit of Mount Washington for the Observatory, my last day will be

And the Snow Has Begun 2012-09-24 19:46:52.000 - Mike Dorfman,  Summit Intern A dusting of snow from today's showers We had our first snowfall of autumn today! The falling snow was relatively brief, but it brought back many memories from the not-so-recent meltout last spring. Pictures of early season snow on Mount Washington either gets people's hearts longing for winter or make people wish the summer hadn't gone by so fast. As fall progresses to winter, the summit will get many feet of snow. Come spring this snow, bitterly cold and dangerously unstable in mid-winter, induces a migration of ski

The Night by the Numbers 2012-09-23 23:47:53.000 - Mike Carmon,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist NULL Continuing the theme from my last comment, I'll share a little bit more about the unique experience that is the night shift. This time, let's do it by the numbers...12...The number of observations I perform each night. My first ob kicks the night off at 5:45 PM EST, and my last one wraps things up at 5:45 AM EST. 11...(degrees Fahrenheit) The wind chill factor when temperatures dip just below freezing, with winds sustained at hurricane force. This is a good benchmark to remember when considering how

Equinox 2012-09-22 17:08:47.000 - Steve Welsh,  Weather Observer/IT Specialist My first observation this morning saw the station enveloped in thick fog with enough drizzle falling to soak you through in no time at all. You could hardly see the far end of the deck and it looked like we were heading for another dull foggy Mount Washington day. However, within a few hours the sky above was completely clear with the only clouds located well below us as they blanketed the surrounding valleys and lower peaks. Now the clouds are starting to roll in again as a cold front approaches

Predicting Weather From the Clouds 2012-09-21 19:46:42.000 - Mike Dorfman,  Summit Intern NULL Many hikers coming out to the White Mountains have the opportunity to check weather reports on a daily basis thanks to the many huts that display the higher summits forecast. There are many places, both in the northeast and other parts of the country, where hikers can go for days or even weeks without being in touch with front-country luxuries such as a weather forecast. Without these forecasts and warnings, many backpackers can be caught off guard by severe weather. Backcountry travelers may not have access to

Circus Vs. Observer 2012-09-20 19:56:15.000 - Rebecca Scholand,  Weather Observer/Education Specialist Can you spot the three modes of transportation? Last night the temperature on the Summit reached 27 degrees and I woke to frost covering the rocks outside. A welcome sight for me as I love winter and it got me thinking about how winter on the summit is not only something I enjoy but part of my job.Last week I was sent the link to a video a friend made of how he gets ready for work. Although our lives are very different I could relate. Now I will