NULL 2011-04-23 19:56:39.000 - Stacey Kawecki,  Observer and Meteorologist NULL Mid week (which for the rest of the world is the weekend) has arrived on the summit-blown in by the winds of change, or at least a strong southerly flow. Winds have been steadily increasing all day and will likely continue on that trend. Yesterday's calm and warmth is like the remnants of a bittersweet dream, fleeting and gossamer-like on the memory. It is 16 degrees, blowing about 60 mph, gusty, and snowing. Visibility has gone from an exquisite 110 miles to a mere 150 feet.You might want to whine

NULL 2011-04-22 19:05:22.000 - Rick Giard,  Observer Frosted Presidentials Overlook the Greening Valley In military terms one thinks of the front as a place where one comes face to face in battle with the enemy. In meteorology there are diverse specializations, yet few that bring us into direct confrontation with the elements we study. Textbook theory and remote instrumentation provide the basic scientific framework that must be fulfilled in the field. To truly understand weather we must leave the classroom behind to venture out and experience atmospheric phenomena directly. At MWOBS we live and work daily on the front lines

NULL 2011-04-21 16:47:23.000 - Gisela(Gigi) Estes,  Summit Volunteer an icy summit Observer Note: We are currently experiencing technical difficulties with our Current Summit Conditions page. We are working to correct the problem, so please bear with us, and check out the Current Summit Conditions in the center of this home page for the latest weather conditions on top. Thank you! Being a volunteer in the Mount Washington Observatory is a most wonderful, unique adventure. There are many exciting and exhilarating experiences like the gorgeous sunset and full moon rise we saw during our week. We had a few clear times

NULL 2011-04-20 16:45:11.000 - Kay Hanson,  Summit Volunteer NULL Having to run up to the top of a mountain to pop a meatloaf in the oven was truly a first for me. Gigi and I have been summit volunteers for this shift. We were taking a much needed beak from our cooking and cleaning chores by going out for an afternoon hike. The 35 to 40mph winds were blowing at our backsides as we jaunted down to the Cow Pasture. We started to circle back up the Nelson Craig trail. A near 50mph gust blasted us as the trail began

April 2011-04-19 11:48:01.000 - Jeff DeRosa,  Outreach Coordinator NULL Sunshine this time of year is every bit as strong as rays felt in late August, and abundant smiles found in the Mt. Washington Valley prove this point. April smiles, however, are easily erased during this tumultuous time of year. From flooding rains to heavy snow, April plays with solar energy in ways that August wouldn't dare. Consequently it comes as little surprise to locals that our highest wind blew during this chaotic month. If, like me, you get excited by April weather, I invite you and your family to join

Always havin' Fun! 2011-04-18 13:09:40.000 - Mike Finnegan,  IT Observer Squirt the Snowman Growing older does not necessarily mean growing up. Of course, with it comes more responsibility, but it does not mean one can simply shun the responsibilities they had as a child. You must still brush your teeth, do the dishes, and get to school on time, especially if you're now a teacher. One of my greatest responsibilities I had as a youngster was to have fun and I have never lost my desire to fulfill this. I spent countless hours building forts of all sorts (stone, hay,

Cap Clouds 2011-04-17 09:01:34.000 - Rebecca Scholand,  Summit Intern NULL Yesterday I experienced something for the first time on the summit and I have been here now for almost a total of seven months. I have seen cap clouds on some of the other peaks and have been in them here on the summit before, however yesterday afternoon a cap cloud was finally just high enough that you could actually see it overhead. It was an incredible sight that even my pictures don't fully capture. The way the cloud streaked across and down into Great Gulf before it dissipated just

Busy Shift 2011-04-15 23:31:24.000 - Brian Clark,  Observer and Meteorologist NULL This shift has been a very eventful one, and it's not even half over yet. Things were a little 'off' right from the beginning, due to Ryan being on vacation. This means that Mike and I do some different shifts than usual in order to cover the overnight shift that Ryan typically works. Over the last several years, when Ryan takes vacation, Mike and I have experimented with several different shifts. This time, we settled on working 10-10 shifts; I work from 10 p.m. to 10 a.m. and then

NYC Trip 2011-04-14 11:39:20.000 - Rebecca Scholand,  Summit Intern Times Square This past off week was just as crammed packed and adventurous as they always are for me, however I had Observers Ryan and Bryan as well as Brian's girl friend Laura along for the ride. Our adventure started around 5am Saturday morning. Brian swung by to pick Ryan and I up before we headed to Saddleback Maine. We arrived at Saddleback just after 9am and were on the slopes under blue bird skies shortly thereafter. We could even see the summit of Mount Washington from Saddleback. The conditions were

NULL 2011-04-12 18:16:01.000 - Stacey Kawecki,  Observer and Meteorologist Happy Big Wind Day! Happy Big Wind Day! 77 years ago, the infant Mount Washington Observatory became world known. The observers recorded a world record wind speed of 231 mph! That world record held until 1996. Even though we can no longer boast the world record, we can claim the highest wind speed recorded by man. The summit of Mount Washington consistently experiences winds in excess of 100 mph (on average, 1 out of every 4 days in the winter). It seemed like the weather was in a celebratory mood today.