Stephen Rosenman 8-5-11 2011-08-05 17:58:44.000 - Stephen Rosenman,  Summit Intern NULL For Mount Washington standards, you cannot have any complaints about the weather the past couple days. We have been continuing the trend of in and out of the clouds under partly/mostly cloudy skies with super calm winds. This has provided some ideal hiking weather with temperatures hanging in the mid-50's during the daytime. We have also been able to see more than just bright white when we look out the weather room windows, which has definitely made the days more pleasant. Yesterday, I took off on a trail run

last comment 2011-08-04 17:52:21.000 - Jaclyn Ritzman,  Summit Intern View of the summit cone from Wildcat This being my last comment, I figured I would reflect on what a wonderful summer this has been up on the summit of Mount Washington. Watching thunderstorms move through the area while being up on the summit has been one of my favorite experiences. There is nothing like being able to witness the summit being struck by lightning; the sounds and vibrant colors of the surroundings sky are truly amazing. Ever since I was a child, clouds have been a mystery to me, therefore

Showers, showers, everywhere. 2011-08-03 23:37:17.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Observer / Meteorologist Sunset today - Pretty but unrelated to the comment If you listened to a Top 40 radio station within the last year, odds are you heard a song called "Airplanes" by B.o.B feat Hayley Williams. In it, the chorus of the song (sung by Ms. Williams) goes: "Can we pretend airplanes In the night sky are like shooting stars?I could really use a wish right nowWish right now, wish right now..."During most of the year, the skies above the summit are obscured by fog, clouds, haze, etc. making it

Hailstorm! 2011-08-02 00:07:47.000 - Mike Carmon,  Observer / Meteorologist Weather nerdi-ness abounds in the following comment (just so you, comment reader, understand where I hail from).While forecasting yesterday morning, both the computer models and NWS were boasting a risk of severe thunderstorms during the afternoon. I, as a self-professed weather nerd, requisitely got quite excited, as the risk seemed to come out of nowhere. I was hoping to wake up later in the day to the sounds of thunder accompanied by a fantastic lightning feature presentation.Although the afternoon did hold a few visible distant thunderstorms, the day did not progress

High Pressure and Air Quality 2011-07-31 17:25:01.000 - Rick Giard,  Observer / Educational Specialist NULL Generally speaking, a ridge of high pressure building into the region is a harbinger of fair weather. True to form, today we have absolutely gorgeous conditions for alpine activity - mostly sunny, light winds, low humidity and good visibility. Compared with the previous two days of fog, rain showers and gusty winds above tree line, this is Hiker's Paradise. However, frequently when high pressure is in control for a period of time, the air quality in terms of pollutants can actually become worse than that

Wildcat 2011-07-30 17:59:44.000 - Steve Welsh,  Observer / IT Specialist NULL I gather it was a wonderful day in the valley today - warm and sunny with vivid blue skies. Up here on the other hand it's been one of those thick wet foggy days with a strong northerly breeze to add to the general discomfort level every time you stepped outside. Hopefully things will improve soon and we may even see some sun tomorrow. In case you haven't noticed we (well really Pete, Ken and assorted volunteers) are in the process of moving our weather related equipment at Wildcat.

NULL 2011-07-29 14:16:34.000 - Tom Padham,  Summit Intern NULL Today we had our first Summit Adventures of the summer season, with five guests getting to experience the home of the world's worst weather first hand by spending night right here in the observatory. These trips are a great way to learn about this unique environment far above treeline and the often extreme weather it experiences. For more information about Summit Adventures be sure to check out our website under education.A storm system is approaching our area from the West today, meaning fog has once again returned to the summit and

NULL 2011-07-28 15:02:02.000 - Peter Strand,  Summit Intern Everyone knows that weather in the White Mountains changes quickly. This is true for almost all mountain ranges, but especially the Whites. Life moves fast at the summit. What with visitors, programs, observations, and of course the ever-changing weather, there are endless tasks to attend to at the Observatory. Occasionally however, after the guests have deserted the summit for the day, it's difficult not to dwell on the vastness of the view at hand. Though modern transportation techniques can be used to experience the summit, all you need is your own two

Art of Forecasting 2011-07-27 22:43:13.000 - Mike Carmon,  Observer / Meteorologist Computer Model Generated Analysis Forecasting is a science, but is also very much an art.Wikipedia defines science as a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the world. These so-called explanations and predictions we consistently produce, day in and day out, are put to the test as mother nature's events unfold over a forecast period of 36 hours.The scientific method is as follows:1. Define a Question: Will any precipitation fall over the next 36 hours? How much cloud cover will

Another Volunteer Comments 2011-07-26 21:26:38.000 - Dennis Vienneau,  Summit Volunteer As our volunteer week draws to a close, I can report that the newest oven and range works well. I had experienced the sudden shutting off issue that the "old" new stove presented during a previous volunteer week when trying to roast a turkey. This week we baked over 700 cookies for Seek the Peak and there were no problems using the stove. In case you're wondering, we baked chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal fudge drops, peanut butter cookies, sugar cookies, oatmeal raisin, chocolate expresso cookies, coconutmacaroons and potato chip cookies.