2021 By The Numbers 2022-01-05 20:22:40.000 - Ryan Knapp, Weather Observer/Staff Meteorologist   2022 has arrived, so it is a perfect time to look back and summarize the year that was (2021 in this case). If I were to use adjectives to summarize 2021 weather conditions on the summit, they would be: warm, dry, foggy, and windy. To find out why these words were chosen, let's look back at some of the stats from last year.   Our average temperature for 2021 was 29.7°F (-1.3°C), which is 1.7°F above the 1991-2020 30-year normal for our station. This would make the

Thank You! 2021-12-27 20:18:53.000 - Ryan Knapp, Weather Observer/Staff Meteorologist   Thank you to all the secret Santas who sent the summit crew Christmas gifts this year. I say “secret” because this year, the valley staff took inventory of who sent what then wrapped all the gifts prior to sending them up to us here on the summit. So, thank you for the candles, refrigerator notepads, pen holders, pizza stones, blender, pans, gift cards, candies, assorted teas, assorted cocoas, and darts. If there is something not listed that you might have sent, it is possible that it might not have

A Winter Outlook as Ski Season Begins in New Hampshire 2021-12-22 10:18:13.000 - Stephen Durham, Weather Observer/Education Specialist   During a recent virtual reception hosted by Ski New Hampshire, I had the opportunity to present and talk with ski areas of the region about the winter we can expect in the White Mountains. With over a dozen ski areas across New Hampshire, knowing what could be ahead for our winter in terms of snow and cold is important as ever for their industry. What We’ve Seen: October was an above average month in terms of temperatures across the region, including

Inspiring Curiosity in Weather and Climate 2021-12-14 21:04:14.000 - Jacquelyn Bellefontaine, Weather Observer & Education Specialist   One of my favorite parts of the week occurs on Tuesdays at 11:15 am, when our Home of the World’s Worst Weather Live! program takes place. This free virtual classroom series was developed in 2020 as a way for young students (and any life-longer learners!) to engage with Mount Washington Observatory staff as we present on a variety of weather and climate topics.   The program was met with great enthusiasm from school systems as well as the general public, and it has

Dear Santa.... 2021-12-10 20:10:48.000 - Ryan Knapp, Weather Observer/Staff Meteorologist   Dear Santa-   Where did the year go? It seems like just yesterday I was writing to you and yet, here we are once again with me in charge of writing to you with our Observatory Christmas List. Since this will be the fifteenth time I have written to you in my (nearly) sixteen years up here, I have the process down to an exact science: 1. Hand written note mailed out to you no later than November first. 2. Email sent to you no later than Thanksgiving. 3.

Thoughts On My Time At the Summit 2021-12-06 16:05:30.000 - Sam Gawel, Summit Intern   As one of three interns this fall, it hurts to acknowledge these next few days are my last on the summit. I have been working here since September, and these months have proved to be some of the most formidable of my life. The experiences have greatly shaped the long-term vision of my future, as I now move forward with great confidence that I will pursue graduate education in meteorology upon completing my BA in environmental and earth sciences in 2023, and aspire to a

What in TARNation? 2021-12-01 16:29:25.000 - Jackie Bellefontaine, Weather Observer & Education Specialist   Have you ever wondered why there are small lakes scattered throughout the White Mountains? Examples such as Hermit Lake, Lonesome Lakes, and the Lakes of the Clouds are actually glacier features called tarns.   Tarns are defined as lakes, ponds, or pools that from in glacially carved cirques. Cirques are erosional features that have an amphitheater-like shape, such as Tuckerman Ravine. Obviously, there are no glaciers found in the White Mountains today, but until about 12,000-14,000 years ago, a large continental ice sheet known as the