Clear (but slightly windy) conditions! 2012-08-30 17:21:49.000 - Stephen Lanciani,  Summit Intern Active Hays wind chart Yesterday was the first day of my second shift as a fall intern, and I was treated to sub-freezing temperatures with wind chills in the teens upon arrival. Welcome back. If that's not a wake up call that winter is on its way, then I don't know what is. Winds have been going strong since yesterday and are steadily increasing today. We've seen sustained winds between 50 and 60 mph so far, gusting up to max of 73.8 mph around 3:30pm. For the record,

Back From Vacation 2012-08-29 23:35:18.000 - Brian Clark,  Weather Observer/Education Specialist NULL Today was the first day I have been on the mountain since August 8th. Since then, I had been on vacation. Back in the spring, I also took some vacation time for a 6,000 mile road trip across a good portion of the country. This time, my vacation time was not quite so unique. I went back to where I grew up: central PA. While I was there, I got to spend lots of time with family and friends, and also had the opportunity to coach some soccer

Volunteer Thoughts 2012-08-28 18:27:16.000 - Faye Doria & Mark Stevens,  Summit Volunteers NULL A few years ago, I met a hiker on a trail who had just finished a week as a MWOBS summit volunteer. I thought what a great adventure that would be. So, I investigated, became a MWOBS member, and worked my way up the volunteer list. And this week on the summit has been an adventure.We came a week ago, not really sure what we were getting into. It turns out we had a skeleton crew for the week since they are between interns, with observers on

Touring the Observatory 2012-08-27 19:20:27.000 - Cyrena Briede,  Director of Summit Operations NULL One of my favorite parts of this job so far has been the ability to give tours to our visiting Observatory Members. Whether your interest in Mount Washington is the history, the weather, or even Marty the cat, it's a real treat for me to meet the people who support us and support what we do. Often they are just as excited about being up here as we are, and it's great to see that enthusiasm from them. It doesn't matter if they are visiting for the

Fall Preview? 2012-08-26 18:37:03.000 - Mike Carmon,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist Saturday Sunset Summertime has it's advantages: warmer temperatures, longer days, and generally more placid weather. I have always loved summer, on the summit or in the valleys; particularly this year, as I've managed to knock 20 of NH's 48 4000-footers off my list.However, the meteorologist in me has been a little bored this summer, as our shift seems to have been given the less-than-desirable title of 'boring weather shift' this year. Don't get me wrong, I took full advantage of the 'boring' weather, but I'm getting a bit antsy for some

Summer is Comming to an End 2012-08-24 17:09:22.000 - Rebecca Scholand,  Weather Observer/Education Specialist NULL August is quickly coming to a close for us here on the Summit. When I return for my next shift it will be September and things will be quieter. As the last days of summer are quickly coming to a close, students are heading back to school and fall is just around the corner. With the wonderful weather we are having and should continue to have for the weekend now is the time for a pre-back to school visit to the summit. What better way

Hauling Clouds and Food 2012-08-23 15:11:50.000 - Eric Kelsey,  Director of Research NULL This morning's 40-50 mph winds were hauling thousands of tons of water up and over the summits. I took an early morning hike down near the head wall of Tuckerman's Ravine. I stood there and watched the northwest winds blowing curtains of cloud across Bigelow Lawn. The feathery bottoms of the clouds reached down toward the ground as if to tickle and excite the patches of Bigelow Sedge growing out of the rock crevasses. Upon decent into the ravine, the clouds evaporated into tiny wisps as though

Under Pressure 2012-08-21 18:22:35.000 - Cyrena Briede,  Director of Summit Operations NULL If you read the forecast (available HERE) you will see the term "high pressure" mentioned when talking about the weather we are experiencing right now and will see for a few days to come. But what does exactly does "high pressure" mean?High pressure means that relative to the surrounding air in the region, the pressure of the air at that location is higher, it weighs more. Areas of high pressure are often associated with clearer sunnier skies, and there are reasons why this is generally true. High pressure

It not to late to visit the Summit 2012-08-20 23:09:30.000 - Roger Pushor,  Weather Observer/IT Specialist NULL The last few days on the Summit have been exceptional with warm weather and low winds. While doing Observations the last couple days I've had the chance to talk briefly to some of the guests on the deck and tell them a little about what we do. During one of my afternoon Observations a family stopped me to say hi and say they were in the audience for a Live From the Rock Piles I did the day before. I also meet a

Finding that Perfect Balance 2012-08-19 22:15:38.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist Balanced rocks at sunset today! While out for a walk around sunset today, I came across an interesting sight along the western edge of the summit cone. There were these perfectly stacked rocks, one on top of the other, with their center points just where they needed to be to find their natural balance to counteract the forces acting against them. It was pretty neat to see, especially given that it is not something you see every day up here - usually because wind is your enemy when building