Spring! 2011-05-14 16:08:30.000 - Mike Finnegan,  IT Observer Laying Down Non-musical Tracks It appears that summer has finally arrived to the summit. The Mount Washington Auto Road is open to the summit as is the Cog Railway. People are filtering down to the museum and shop where Becca is now in charge. A few of those have become members and resulted in me giving my first tour of the Observatory of the year. Other folks have parked a bit down the road and are making some late season turns in the East Snowfields or the Great Gulf. Although things are

Friday the 13th! 2011-05-13 22:20:59.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Staff Meteorologist Sunrise on the 13th. Today is Friday the 13th! To those who are superstitious or have paraskevidekatriaphobia (fear of Friday the 13), today isn't the best day as it tends to be a very scary day for them. Luckily, none of us working up here have this fear or else nothing would get done since we do some of the things that bring bad luck daily. Some say walking under a ladder can bring bad luck but if you have been up in our weather tower, you know that we

1 year later 2011-05-12 22:00:50.000 - Rebecca Scholand,  Summit Museum Attendant NULL 12 May 2010 I started working on the summit as one of the new summer interns. Today, one year later, I am starting on the summit as the new Museum Supervisor. With two internships behind me I am excited to be working for the Observatory in a new position. I will still be working on the same shift as I have been but will have a new title and new responsibilities. So far in my new role I have been readying the museum and gift shop for its

An interns departing thoughts 2011-05-11 21:41:14.000 - David Quigley,  Summit Intern Springtime is a time of great transition on Mount Washington. Temperature rises, snowpack decreases, and birds return to the summit. We have seen the first cogs arriving at the summit and running the Auto Road has become a viable exercise option. This year, our shift is undergoing a transformation rivaling that of the view out the Observatory's windows. As you probably know, next shift will be Stacey's last. Rick, our new Observer, has been on shift being trained by Stacey for the last two weeks. Next week there will

NULL 2011-05-10 11:53:13.000 - Karen Hemeon,  Membership & Events Coordinator NULL Mount Washington has roughly 4,000 members, 20,000 e-newsletter subscribers and an astounding 1.17 million unique visitors who peruse this website each year.You are scientists and researchers, hikers, photographers, skiers and White Mountains enthusiasts of all stripes. You vary from young to old, left-brained to right, complete weather wonks to fascinated bystanders. Hailing from all fifty states and many countries, you and I--and everyone reading this blog--are a truly diverse lot, united by our passion for weather, the Observatory and Mount Washington.I invite all of you to join me and

NULL 2011-05-09 19:12:06.000 - Stacey Kawecki,  Observer and Meteorologist good medicine! Unlike Garfield, I don't mind Monday's so much. Especially when you awake to 110 mile visibility - that really takes the edge off. The weather this week has gone from warm and muggy to cold and snowy to warm and hazy to clear and brisk. The snow is almost completely gone from the Mount Washington Auto Road and we've seen the first Cogs to the summit. With the snow almost completely gone from the Mount Washington Auto Road, I have been able to resume one of my favorite (and

NULL 2011-05-08 22:23:10.000 - Mike Carmon,  Staff Meteorologist NULL Elusive springtime weather has transformed the summit multiple times in only four days.Spring is generally a very difficult month for forecasters, because it is a season defined by change. Warmer air is eager to push its way into the country and take the place of wintertime's retreating colder air. The result is a clash of sometimes epic proportions (as sadly witnessed over the past few weeks across the southern US).When our shift arrived on Wednesday, rain was falling in buckets from base to summit, making for a wet and foggy journey

Harbingers of Summer 2011-05-07 17:22:04.000 - Rick Giard,  Observer & Education Specialist First Cog Run of the Season With Old Man Winter reluctantly releasing his grip on the summit, we now begin to witness harbingers of the approaching summer season. This morning the first chugging Cog Railway train reached the top with an excited group of visitors. The Auto Road is also open today up to the 4.5 mile level. Hikers are arriving in a slow but steady parade, looking triumphant and bit fatigued. They pause at the ever-popular peak 6288' sign to savor the astounding panorama and capture the

NULL 2011-05-06 08:15:30.000 - Stacey Kawecki,  Observer and Meteorologist winter's wonderland Upon arrival on Wednesday (which occurred sans snow tractor - the first time this season!), the summit looked like summer. The rocks were squashing beneath my boots in mud, the big snow pile next to the A-frame had completely diminished, and it was raining, a lot. True to Mount Washington form, winter will not go gently into that good night. Upon waking yesterday, temperature had taken a trip south of the freezing point, winds were surprisingly calm and we were treated to that rare event on the summit -

Volunteer Comment 2011-05-04 22:30:11.000 - Joe Kayan,  Summit Volunteer Sunset I awake a half hour before my alarm goes off. My room is gray...just enough early light filtering through the two small windows for me to see the clutter of hiking gear, books and late night snacks littering my small space. I put my face up to the window closest to my bed. Grayer still outside. The rocks only 50 feet from the building disappear in the dim morning light and the heavy, thick clouds rushing by.I know that I awoke early today because I'm a bit anxious. It's shift