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

Last Summer Hurrah 2011-10-08 16:36:54.000 - Mike Carmon,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist NULL It's hard to believe that in a matter of weeks, the road will be closed, the Sherman Adams building will be sealed up, and the final preparations for the winter season will be implemented.It's particularly difficult to believe it today, due to the scores of visitors that have made their way to the summit. Cog-ers, Auto Road-ers, and hikers alike have all descended upon us on this beautiful (albeit breezy) early-October Saturday. The same way Labor Day is thought of as the unofficial end to the summer season for

Nice Weather for the Weekend 2011-10-07 21:33:50.000 - Kevin Cronin,  Summit Intern The high pressure system over the northeast will remain over the region forthis weekend. This will allow conditions to be beautiful at the summit withtemperatures well above average and clear skies.The temperature at the summit tomorrow is forecast to be 58 degrees which is 1degree above the daily record. However winds are forecast to be breezy withsustained winds 35-50 mph. Just last Wednesday conditions were a stark contrast from the weather seen today and the weather forecast for this weekend. Temperatures were in the 20s with riming on

METAR: The Secrets of Weather Decoded! 2011-10-06 22:08:06.000 - Rick Giard,  Weather Observer/Education Specialist Daily Weather Coding Sheet Anyone who tunes in to the weathercasters at regional and national news channels knows a fair amount of meteorological jargon: isobars, fronts, pressure gradients and the like. As one who has studied meteorology on a serious basis recently, I have a reasonable understanding of the basic atmospheric science. Essentially, serious meteorology is physics, chemistry and mathematics applied to the atmosphere. Computer models and human forecasters begin with current conditions, then attempt to prognosticate what will change (or not) in the foreseeable future.