Ice 2010-10-19 21:36:27.000 - Erica Sandschulte,  Summit Intern Rime Ice covering the Observation Deck Like many of us up here on the summit, I have a great fascination with winter weather. Up here on the rockpile we see all kinds of weather and mixed precipitation. Now with the passing of the storm last week we were able to experience several different types. One unique form of ice that you will find here on the summits is rime ice-frozen fog. It is a beautiful feather like formation that will attach itself to anything and everything. With the storm that rolled in

Blue and gold 2010-10-18 23:54:01.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Staff Meteorologist If you know me, then you know I love going to the movies. It's the whole experience. Standing in line to get a ticket and seeing everyones enthusiasm for the movie they are hoping to see. Entering the lobby, the smell of buttered popcorn surrounds you. Candy comes in boxes and concession people always make it sound like a one gallon drum of popcorn and soda are a great deal. Walking into the theater, you look for those "golden" seats; not too close, not too far, not too far left

Don't be a 'Goofer'. 2010-10-17 18:25:53.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Staff Meteorologist Observer tips/reviews currently in Backpacker So, if you haven't deduced from our recent comments, it is full on winter up here. Snow coats the summit cone and surrounding peaks with an average of about 6 inches with drifts as deep as 6 feet in some spots. Looking at current webcams and talking to day hikers, it looks like snowline, as of today, drops all the way down to about 3500 feet. Winds have been staying high and are projected to remain on the high side until a bit of

Winter Wonderland 2010-10-16 20:16:11.000 - Erica Sandschulte,  Summit Intern NULL It is sincerely a beautiful site up here on the rockpile! Snow has been falling off and on today covering the summit in a white blanket of snow. Going outside, there was not much definition between the sky and the ground; there were moments the fog was so think seeing 50ft ahead of you was difficult! We have accumulated 7 inches of snow in about 48 hours, and it will keep coming as the weekend continues. Although it is a beautiful winter wonderland outside, keep in mind that the temperatures

Snowboarding and Lightning! 2010-10-15 16:43:22.000 - Mike Finnegan,  IT Observer Sliding on the Snow!!! Ok, time to take a second attempt at writing this comment. You see, I had started earlier writing about how excited I was this morning to find several inches of snow on the ground. I, like Brian, had dreams of sideways-flying snowflakes last night. After talking with Roy from WMWV, both of us extremely excited and only made more so by each other, I grabbed my board and boots and headed outside. I threw them in the van this past shift change with hopes of snow.

High expectations 2010-10-14 21:39:42.000 - Brian Clark,  Observer and Meteorologist NULL There are quite a few sayings that are often used to express how excited someone is. These comparisons often involve children, which should come as no surprise considering how much more easily children become excited than adults, especially when it comes to 'little things'. Like a kid in a candy store. Like a kid on Christmas morning. It doesn't matter which one you prefer to use, take your pick; that's how I feel this evening.Why the excitement? Well, tonight is the eve before a storm that will likely turn

Notes from a volunteer 2010-10-13 21:12:02.000 - Richard,  Summit Volunteer 'Green Flash' close up. I was really excited for the chance to volunteer at the Mount Washington Observatory. It seemed like an ideal opportunity for me.Mountaineering + cooking + science = awesome, as far as I'm concerned. I remember when the volunteer coordinator called me earlier this year, wanting to make sure that I was a reasonable fit for the role.She wanted to make sure I knew there would be a cat around, that the weather might be atrocious, that in case of an emergency I might be required to

NULL 2010-10-12 23:36:25.000 - Mike Carmon,  Staff Meteorologist Winter Up Top, Autumn Down Below As I sit here on yet another Tuesday evening, as one more shift draws to a close, my mind is fully in-sync with weather-related thoughts. In addition, though, I have the concept of change on my mind. In that vein, let's take a look at the change our mountain home has held for us from this shift to last shift:October 6th - October 12thMaximum Temperature: 40F on 6thMinimum Temperature: 16F on 9th & 10th Average Temperature: 28FPeak Wind Gust: 98 mph on 7th Average Wind Speed:

NULL 2010-10-11 17:51:54.000 - Stacey Kawecki,  Observer and Meteorologist A beautiful end to a beautiful day Happy Columbus Day! Christopher Columbus did a lot of sailing. I wonder if he ever saw a green flash. A green flash is something that occurs either just before the sun rises or just after the sunsets, and its duration is usually less than one second. High visibility conditions must exist, and one must be able to see an extensive amount of the horizon. These conditions most commonly exist on the ocean, hence pondering whether or not Christopher Columbus had seen one. The conditions

NULL 2010-10-10 15:28:06.000 - Jennifer Finn,  Summit Intern Finally, the sun! After being stuck in the clouds for over two days, a beautiful day on the summit like today is one to be ecstatic about. Kristin, Stacey, and I started the day off right by waking up just before dawn to welcome our long-lost friend, the sun. I was particularly excited considering it was my first one on the mountain (mostly because the sun's been rising later every day and I'm not that much of a morning person). I attempted to go outside in jeans to snap some photos, and