NULL 2011-01-18 19:08:51.000 - Stacey Kawecki,  Observer and Meteorologist looming Whiteface and Camel's Hump Many strange sights have been seen on the summit. From fleeting flashes of green to, sun dogs, to sun pillars, halos, rainbows and winter snows, it's a wonder that we're not completely jaded when it comes to optical phenomena, wild weather, and fantastic views. With four sunrises and three sunsets to boast this week, we were still scrambling to dress for sunset last night.It was one of the most interesting sunsets I've ever seen from the summit! From the cozy weather room, I was trying to

NULL 2011-01-17 23:45:26.000 - Mike Carmon,  Staff Meteorologist NULL It's been about 24 hours since we last spoke, and I figured I'd update everyone on the topic of discussion I chose, considering it's something that will directly affect you valley-dwellers as well.The topic? The latest in what is shaping up to be a seemingly endless parade of coastal storm systems charging their way up the eastern seaboard. It appeared yesterday that this storm would be warmer than that of last Wednesday, producing a sloppy icy mess of precipitation across the whole of New England. What I can tell you as

NULL 2011-01-16 22:23:27.000 - Mike Carmon,  Staff Meteorologist The next contestant Nor'easter number three is coming!I can't guarantee this of course (allow me to use the often circuitous reasoning of a meteorologist for a few moments when I say computer models are by no means perfect, and we can't put any warranty on forecasts longer than 2-3 days, etc., etc., etc.). However, the scenario has been shaping up nicely for the past couple of days, and it's looking more and more like a significant event.The catch is the odd approach this system will take in making its presence known across

NULL 2011-01-15 14:11:03.000 - Stacey Kawecki,  Observer and Meteorologist another sunrise! As I mentioned in yesterday's comment, we in fact, did get a sunrise this morning! Many of you know to get two sunrises and two sunsets in a row is quite the treat! One of the coolest things about working/living on a mountain is that oftentimes, you can see the weather coming at you. Sometimes it happens quickly - You see a cloud one minute and you're in the fog the next. Other times, the weather will slowly approach from the west (or sometimes the southeast).Something I almost always

NULL 2011-01-14 20:14:05.000 - Stacey Kawecki,  Observer and Meteorologist sunrise this morning Last night, in an attempt to use up some residual energy from dinner and cake, I invited myself on a walk down the Mount Washington Auto Road with the three interns (the 2 Plymouth State interns, Mike and Jason, and our shift's winter intern David). The moon was so bright that the headlamps we brought with use were merely extra weight. I pointed out the lights from distant towns and cities (Portland, Portsmouth, Lewiston-Auburn) while we walked, our boots crunching on the snow tractor tracks.The snow and ice

First impressions from new intern. 2011-01-13 18:21:18.000 - David Quigley,  Summit Intern NULL I'm finally here! After a few months of anticipation I arrived Wednesday afternoon as the new Winter Intern. It already feels like home. Steve, Stacey, and Mike have welcomed me onto their shift. Our volunteers, Steve and Tom, made delicious chicken and chorizo paella on my first night. I have also just been informed that it is Tom's birthday so Happy Birthday Tom! That explains why he has been working so hard on that birthday cake in the kitchen.I have been at the summit only two days

NULL 2011-01-12 16:31:40.000 - Al and Marion Lake,  Summit Volunteers NULL What a difference a day makes. Yesterday we were outside when the temps and winds were in the single digits and the visibility was only limited by the horizon. Today the the winds are approaching 70 mph and the visibility is down to less than 200 feet. This has been another interesting week volunteering at the MWO. There were a lot of different things happening that made the week fly. The major change was the installation of a new pitot anemometer. It took the coordinated efforts of the whole

PSU intern #2 comment 2011-01-11 18:04:50.000 - Michael Pirhalla,  Plymouth State Intern The ocean as seen from the summit. Yesterday's gusty winds transitioned into a calm, clear day here on the summit of Mt. Washington today. With the visibility greater than 120 miles and winds less than 10mph, it was a perfect day to head outside and explore the summit. My fellow intern, Jason Kaiser from Plymouth State University, and I got some exercise shoveling the top of the observatory. Temperatures topped out in the 20's while we were chiseling away at the snow and ice, so my heavy winter

A Memorable Week 2011-01-10 22:16:46.000 - Mike Finnegan,  IT Observer It's My Birthday!!! It has been a pretty memorable week here on the summit. The crew saw our first overnight guests of the season on Friday night into Saturday with a climbing group led by Mark Synnott. As they left to decent the mountain via Lobster Claw gully, another slew of people came to the summit, mainly Observatory staff. Although several tasks were to be completed, the most significant one was the installation of the new pitot-tube static anemometer. We are extremely happy to announce that it has been working

Plymouth State Intern Comment 2011-01-09 17:39:23.000 - Jason Kaiser,  Plymouth State Intern Mike Pirhalla, a fellow Plymouth State Meteorology student, and I arrived on the summit around mid-day yesterday with a delicate piece of equipment in tow - a brand new custom-machined pitot tube anemometer. The majority of the afternoon the summit was bustling with activity in preparation and anticipation for the anemometer's wiring and installation. Luckily, we had calm winds, which made installation on the observatory tower relatively easy. The caveat to low winds was that we didn't know if the new heaters that are installed inside the anemometer