From the Western Foothills of Maine to the White Mountains of New Hampshire 2021-06-08 09:57:13.000 - Madeline DeGroot, Summit Intern   Hello from Mount Washington! My name is Madeline DeGroot, but everyone calls me Maddie. I just graduated from Northern Vermont University – Lyndon with a B.S. in Atmospheric Sciences, Concentration in Private Industry, and a Minor in Mathematics. I am from the Western Foothills of Maine and attended Dirigo High School. I knew from an early age that I wanted to be a meteorologist, and now here I am, an intern at the Mount Washington Observatory! For pretty much

Choose Your Adventure for Seek the Peak 2021-06-03 12:16:23.000 - Marty Basch, Windswept Editor   The venerable Seek the Peak is now a multi-sport expo complete with activities like hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking, paddling and more. The beloved event to benefit the science and research work of the Mount Washington Observatory on July 16-17 is now a chance to explore familiar or new pastimes within sight of Mount Washington. Along with its generous partners and sponsors, Seek the Peak is a valuable opportunity to connect with trusted weather reports, trail information, and local tour operators loaded with knowledge. You

Mountain Life Quirkiness 2021-06-01 09:27:42.000 - Michael Brown, Summit Intern   What’s up! My name is Michael Brown, and I am one of the many interns working at the Mount Washington Observatory this summer. While I am a life-long New England resident from Shelton, Connecticut, and no stranger to the cold, Mount Washington truly lives up to its phrase of the home of the world’s worst weather! I am a rising second-year meteorology major at North Carolina State University, with a special love for extreme weather. Some of my personal hobbies include biking, playing sports (especially volleyball), and storm chasing. After

From the Panhandle to the Presidential Range 2021-05-25 17:19:01.000 - Alex Branton, Summit Intern      Hello, my name is Alexandra (Alex) Branton and I am so excited to be interning with the Mount Washington Observatory this summer! The summit is a huge change of scenery for me, as I am from the panhandle of Florida. I have just completed my junior year studying aviation meteorology and air traffic control at the Florida Institute of Technology. My hobbies include running, hiking, climbing, paddle boarding, watching New Girl, and almost anything outside. I recently ran in the Florida Marathon this past February

Mountains aren’t funny… 2021-05-17 12:20:59.000 - A.J. Mastrangelo, Summit Intern   They’re hill areas.    Greetings all and now that that’s out of my system, my name is A.J. Mastrangelo and I could not be more excited to be a summit intern with the Observatory for this summer! Although I am originally from Massachusetts, I’m no stranger to the White Mountains as I have spent a great deal of time in the region year-round since I was a kid. Currently a rising senior at Penn State University, I am a meteorology major with a concentration in weather forecasting and communications.

Summer Changes 2021-05-03 13:55:24.000 - Nicole Tallman, Weather Observer/Education Specialist   As we approach the warmer months, relatively speaking, the summit has begun some of the prep for summer! The first in line on our list of transitions was roping off an area on the observation deck. This is done to prevent damage to our very valuable instruments. There is a list of changes that occur in the months to come including removing our winter storm windows from the weather room and offices. This is an extra layer of protection that we install to protect our primary windows from scratches

Local Partners to help you Seek Your Peak this Summer 2021-04-27 13:22:02.000 - Stephanie Fitzgerald, Director of Development   Winter may have returned to the summit last week, but those of us at lower elevations are thinking of warmer days ahead. Many of our members and friends have been reaching out about when to visit and what conditions are like in the mountains. For Obs staff, the warmer weather of shoulder season means Seek the Peak is just around the corner. Seek the Peak is our largest annual fundraiser and this year we have expanded our Expo on Saturday, July

Visibility from Summit Appears to be Increasing Over Time 2021-04-21 10:21:46.000 - Charlie Buterbaugh, Development Coordinator   Weather Observer Sam Robinson stands above the clouds in December 2020. Observers record prevailing visibility at each of their 24 hourly observations, every day of the year. Weather Observers Jay Broccolo and Sam Robinson recently completed an analysis of Mount Washington Observatory’s (MWO) long-term visibility records, studying continuous data collected at the summit’s unique vantage point. Their exploration grew out of public and staff interest, initially related to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on the environment. Back in spring 2020, our staff

Big Wind Day 2021 2021-04-12 14:41:54.000 - Jay Broccolo, Weather Observer/Meteorologist   In years past, this annual blog post has taken a scientific approach and described the overall weather pattern of the system that brought several 220+ mph and two 231 mph wind gusts out of the SE, which is a relatively uncommon flow pattern. Each, from a slightly different perspective, which over time, has built quite a robust history of the event on our Blog. There are three, in particular, that stands out to me written in recent years, and after these brief synopsis', I encourage you to go

How Will You Seek Your Peak During Seek the Peak? 2021-04-08 08:39:21.000 - Jay Broccolo, Weather Observer/Meteorologist   Seek the Peak is ramping up and the event, this year and in the future, will be much more of a Mount Washington Adventure Expo featuring many human-powered sports. Seek the Peak, is the Mount Washington Observatory’s largest and grandest annual fundraising event and has, in the past 20 years, been about getting out and hiking in support of the Observatory. It is through this important event and member support that critical funds are raised to enable the non-profit Mount Washington Observatory