NULL 2011-10-18 16:44:42.000 - Harriet and Priscilla,  Summit Volunteers We are reflecting on the extremes of the week from arriving with clear blue skies to our first experience of Arctic weather where the whole of Mt. Washington was covered in rime ice. What stands out for us is the contrast of the winter world we stood in and the panaramic view of autumn colors below. Intermitent cloud cover allowed us to look out at the mountains and into the valley painted in autumn colors. Our time here is primarily about cooking, but this week has been a real "taste" of

Farewell my Friends 2011-10-17 22:26:31.000 - Erin Diveny,  Summit Museum Supervisor As the winter weather is starting to set in, that means another last comment. The Sherman's Adams building will be closing to the public soon, and my job as museum supervisor will then be done for this season. As I look back at the summer, I think about everyone I've met and all the amazing experiences I've had. I had the honor or working with former observer Stacey on her last shift, I've met 6 different interns between the two shifts and the two seasons (summer and fall), and

A Season of Contrasts; So Know Before You Go! 2011-10-16 18:58:15.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist Some unexpected clearing this afternoon! Contrast: to compare in order to show unlikeness or differences; note the opposite natures, purposes, etc., of. A black and white photo can show contrasts in light and dark areas of the photo. A picture of a mountain can show a contrast in terrain features. Or a picture from the summit this afternoon can show the contrast of winter weather on the higher summits and fall weather in the valleys. It's that time of year where contrasts can be

Measuring the Speed of the Wind 2011-10-15 17:50:08.000 - Roger Pushor,  Weather Observer/IT Specialist Number 2 Heated Anemometer - Any instrument for measuring and indicating the force or speed of the wind. From the Greek word anemos meaning wind. It is believed that an Italian artist and architect Leon Battista Alberti invented the first mechanical anemometer in 1450.There are a number of different types of anemometers and they fall into two broad categories, the Velocity anemometers which measure the speed of the wind and the Pressure anemometers which measure the force of the wind. Here at Mount Washington Observatory we

Snowy Conditions to Come 2011-10-14 18:08:08.000 - David Narkewicz,  Summit Intern NULL Currently I am at the half way point of my internship. So far it has been one of the best experiences of my life. I have learned and experienced various aspects of the summits in the past two months. Coming into this experience I had never traveled to the White Mountains before. I did not know the breath taking views they produce. So far I have seen the greens flourish in the late summer; then transition to the colorful reds, oranges, and yellows of fall foliage. The beautiful

The Internship Experience 2011-10-13 18:19:14.000 - Brian Clark,  Weather Observer/Education Specialist Yours truly, as an intern in January of 2006 The transition to winter on Mount Washington certainly brings thoughts of the frigid temperatures, snow, rime ice, and high winds that lie on the horizon for the months ahead. For the full-time summit staff, this transition season also brings about thoughts of the new interns that we need to seek out and hire. Sure, our current interns, Dave and Kevin, are only about halfway through their experience. However, we have to start interviewing and hiring soon, so that we have

Goodbye Summer, Hello Winter - Part Deux 2011-10-12 23:50:06.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist Undercast on the drive up. When I headed down last week, it was snowing on the summit and temperatures were dipping well below normal, even in the valleys around the summit. Since I enjoy winter weather, it didn't bother me much but it had me looking forward to my flight back to home in California. Usually this time of year, the Sierra's of northern California are still mild with temperatures in the 70s and 80s during the day. But this wasn't the case, instead I was

Day One on the Rock Pile 2011-10-11 17:26:55.000 - Al Coviello,  Summit Volunteer Rimed Summit Overlooks Valley Foliage DAY ONEThere were several basic first questions on my mind as I approached the sojourn to the Summit: What would the trip to the top be like? How quickly could I adapt to the environment, the surroundings, and the routines? What would be the crew's reaction to a newbie volunteer? Since I had never been on the summit of Mount Washington, let alone serving as a volunteer for a full week, I did feel a bit of trepidation.On October 5, 2011, I

Weekly Weather Summary October 2nd - 8th, 2011 2011-10-10 15:08:01.000 - Rick Giard,  Weather Observer / Education Specialist Weather Summary Oct. 2-8 WEEKLY WEATHER SUMMARYOctober 2nd - 8th, 2011This was a week dominated by two distinctly different regimes. The first half was mild and moist, ruled by a large, slow-moving upper level low and fed by tropical moisture from seafaring Hurricane Ophelia. Several days of drizzle, rain and fog produced light liquid measurements overall, starting with 0.75 inches on the 2nd and ending with total of only 1.17 inches on the 5th. At midweek an abrupt transition to cold, dry

Fall Colors 2011-10-09 14:44:52.000 - Steve Welsh,  Weather Observer/IT Specialist Fall Colors Over the past few days the clear sunny weather has provided us with some spectacular views down into the surrounding valleys where the fall colors seem to be really taking hold now. This early morning view of the historic Mount Washington Hotel shows some fine reds and yellows along with some distant valley fog. I wonder if the delegates who, at the close of the second world war, were housed here to set up the Bretton Woods monetary system, a precursor to the IMF and world bank, ever