A Mundane Weather Week 2012-04-07 17:04:59.000 - Mike Carmon,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist Our view this week We most certainly got spoiled during our last shift, with temperatures in the 40s and 50s and lots of sunshine to be had. I was enjoying donning our lighter summer gear rather than dressing for battle before every outdoor venture.This shift has been a snap back to reality, as the mercury has been lingering in the teens for most of the week, with plenty of freezing fog and snow gracing the summit. The summertime landscape that seemed to be taking shape last shift has returned

Having a bad day? Fly a kite! 2012-04-06 17:03:13.000 - Brian Fitzgerald,  Summit Intern An afternoon kite flight on the observation deck. It's hard to complain about your job when you live atop one of the most spectacular mountains in the country and get to experience the raw intensity of mother nature so regularly just outside your door- yet it's been a quiet first couple days on our shift, with few visitors, and only four of us (including one member/volunteer) occupying the now roomy observatory. So, needless to say, things can get a little monotonous, especially when it's the third

Truck or Snow Cat 2012-04-05 17:12:33.000 - Steve Welsh,  Weather Observer/IT Specialist NULL Today has been a typical winter's day up here with temperatures hovering around 10 Fahrenheit, winds gusting between 50 and 70 mph, up-slope snow showers, blowing snow and freezing fog with accompanying rime ice. At times we could see two to three hundred feet, however, these times didn't last long before the fog closed in and restricted our view to 100 feet or less. Tomorrow looks a little better as we may possibly, maybe, perhaps see a few breaks in the fog.It's certainly been quite a change

Volunteer Week Thoughts 2012-04-03 23:10:39.000 - Susan Barnes,  Summit Volunteer Some rime on the railing. This has been an interesting week on the summit, full of different weather days to see. We had fog until Friday evening, then it cleared out, and Saturday and Sunday were great! I went out walking around the summit on Sunday afternoon, when there was almost no wind, but it had started to snow. The only sound was the snow hitting my jacket, it was so neat. I met two hikers who were just starting down from the summit. They were well equipped, looked like

Fresh blowing Snow 2012-04-02 21:44:07.000 - Roger Pushor,  Weather Observer/IT Specialist Snow blowing up over the Summit Yesterday saw a little over four inches of very dry snow fall across the Northern Presidentials. Right now with winds speeds of 50 miles per hour gusting to 70 miles per hour at times this new loosely packed and very dry snow is being carried up over the northern side of the mountain over the top of the radio towers and back down the other side. As we watched from our office windows today looking northwest the snow was dense enough to limit

April Fools Day! 2012-04-01 18:35:32.000 - Rebecca Scholand,  Operations Assistant Discovery in the Snow Last shift I wrote about the strange warm weather that broke daily records for five days strait. This week, although it is not the temperatures that are strange there has been something else. On most calm evenings here on the summit it is not uncommon to see the fox wondering the summit looking for dropped food by hikers. But the past two evenings there has been something besides the fox lingering around the summit. I was convinced it was a late hiker summiting, but the lack

Light Pillars Over Berlin Last Night 2012-03-31 19:33:58.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist Light Pillars over Berlin, NH last night. Working nights up here, I'm not usually easily scared...Nope, that's not right...Working nights up here, I am perpetually in a state of fear. I may put on a brave face on the outside, but inside, I'm more like the Cowardly Lion from 'The Wizard of Oz'. Some nights are better than others, but most, somewhere in the back of my mind, I am constantly being nagged by the 'What ifs...?' What if I slip and hurt myself? What if a

Spring is just over the Horizon 2012-03-30 19:55:01.000 - Roger Pushor,  Weather Observer/IT Specialist Looking North Through Rime Covered Windows For anyone that's been following the Observer Comments the past few days you'll know that the Summit has returned to a more wintery look after the early Spring thaw that we saw a week ago. At this point we're reporting five inches of snow on the Summit so just a thin coating of white is covering everything.We spent most of the day in the fog with light snow falling and blowing around. Come late afternoon the fog became intermittent and

Snow and Cold Temperatures Return to the Summit 2012-03-29 17:41:17.000 - Rebecca Scholand,  Operations Assistant Deck View of the Snow Yesterday Morning It is good to be back on the summit for yet another week. Last week I left the summit in a less than enthusiastic mood as all the snow was melting away. Fearing it might be the end to winter I pulled out all my summer attire in the valley. Returning to the summit I didn't need a single stitch of it as I put on my warm Eastern Mountain Sports gear for a cold start to the

Spring Shift Change Shuffle 2012-03-28 23:55:42.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist Cow Pasture Lenticulars. This past week off in the valley was pretty bizarre weather-wise, going from record heat in the 70s and 80s when we first got down on the 21st to temperatures in 20s and nearly 2 inches of new snow on the ground as I left my house this morning to come back up. This mix of weather also made for an interesting shift change as every vehicle in our fleet was utilized to get up. We started with our 4x4 van with chains on from the