I've a feeling we're not in Kansas any more... 2011-09-16 18:06:40.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist Gooooooaaaallllll! Stepping outside this afternoon, it feels like a whole different world. The skies are gray and the summit is coated in rime ice, glaze ice, sleet, and snow making it feel less like the summit of Mount Washington and more like the ice planet Hoth from Star Wars (minus the three moons, the Rebel Alliance, Vader's Death Squadron, extreme cold, etc). And while snow and cold in the middle of September may seem unusual to most, by Mount Washington standards, it really isn't

Freezing Temperatures and Rime Ice 2011-09-15 17:23:34.000 - David Narkewicz,  Summit Intern NULL Tonight is a very exciting night here at the Mount Washington Observatory. This evening temperatures are forecasted to drop below freezing. This will give a solid chance for objects on the summit to experience some rime ice buildup. There are two main characteristics that are needed for rime ice to occur, freezing temperatures and fog. When temperatures are below freezing, water droplets in fog rapidly freeze to the outer surface of objects. This build up usually take place on the side of the object facing the wind.

Comments from Summit Volunteers 2011-09-14 00:58:08.000 - Sandy Fisher & Sharon Camp,  Summit Volunteers Sunrise On New Hampshire's highest peak, clouds come and go as do the view, hikers, tourists and even us as volunteers. This was our third year volunteering as cooks; each week spent on the summit is unique so we want to share a few highlights for 2011. Saturday afternoon there was a wedding on the Observatory Deck overlooking the clear mountain view.At Saturday evening's Sunset Soiree, over 160 people came to celebrate the sunset with a champagne toast and they were blessed with perfect weather, 120

Higher Summits Anticipating Colder Conditions 2011-09-12 11:33:23.000 - Rick Giard,  Weather Observer / Education Specialist Snow at Tip Top House October 2006 Last week continued the trend toward generally rainy, unsettled weather. During the previous week the major precipitation producer was Hurricane Irene. On the heels of Irene more moisture of tropical origin pelted the peaks, as the long-lasting remnants of Tropical Storm Lee lingered within a frontal system stalled along the Atlantic seaboard. This persistent pest instilled instability and induced a series of rainfall events distributed during Sunday through Thursday. The quantity of weekly wetness amounted to 3.99 inches

Flags on the Summit 2011-09-11 18:39:41.000 - Erin Diveny,  Summit Museum Supervisor Raising of the flag Today the summit was filled with people carrying American flags in honor of those who lost there lives on that horrible day of 9/11/2001. People came from all over to fly there flags and many of them had lost love ones on that day. This morning I was out on the observation deck and met a man who wanted to fly a flag in honor of this friend who's in Afghanistan right now and is mailing the flag to him.In addition to the flags

A Great Sunset 2011-09-10 21:28:03.000 - Kevin Cronin,  Summit Intern Sunset Soiree! Tonight the observatory held the Sunset Soiree, an event where you have an opportunity to enjoy a nice glass of champagne as the sun sets. Festivities began at 5:30pm with a chauffeured motor coach ride from the base of Wildcat Mountain to the summit of Mount Washington. When they reached the top they were given a sumptuous selection of desserts. After desert and coffee they were given champagne to watch the sunset and to hear a toast from Scot Henley, Mount Washington's Executive Director. Conditions couldn't have been

Sunrise and Lenticulars 2011-09-09 18:48:51.000 - Steve Welsh,  Weather Observer/IT Specialist Lenticulars The eastern horizon was a vivid red at 5:30 this morning, some 40 minutes or so before the sun actually rose. As the time advanced a few early birds were treated to a great display of reds, oranges and pinks. I tried to capture it with our camera but unfortunately nothing usable came of it. This one shot, was taken as the sun was crossing the horizon but by then most of the colors had already gone. The abundant high clouds in the photograph are from the outer

A Wonderful Undercast 2011-09-08 22:57:52.000 - Erin Diveny,  Summit Museum Supervisor Undercast! Well today was a nice day much to our surprise here at the summit! Normally we hear visitors complain about the clouds at the summit-yet today we heard that it was foggy on the drive up and then cleared as they got to the summit which is a rarity. Due to the fact that the weather was rainy and overcast in the valley the summit was extremely quiet. When I went outside during my lunch break I found it so odd how quiet it was yet it was

Astronomical Autumn Approaches 2011-09-07 17:49:06.000 - Mike Carmon,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist The Rain Continues... Autumn is fast-approaching!The official start of astronomical autumn 2011 is listed as September 23 at 09:04 UTC (05:04 AM EDT).The unofficial start of meteorological autumn 2011 has passed (September 1 at midnight).The signs are becoming increasingly apparent: the days are gradually abbreviating, the afternoon highs are less astronomical, and the overnight lows are dipping into chillier ranges. In addition, the sun that had felt so powerful and energetic through the dog days of the summer months no longer seems to exhibit that same prowess. Summer 2011 is

Observations from a summit volunteer 2011-09-06 23:14:57.000 - Layne Gregory,  Summit Volunteer NULL I do not remember who first told me about the opportunity to volunteer for a week and work with the meteorologists and staff on top of Mount Washington. However, I do recall that it was at least fifteen years ago and I have wanted to have this experience ever since. I have always loved to cook, especially for others. It is such a wonderful way to nourish the bodies and the spirits of others. I am not a professional chef. I started cooking in my early 20's