NULL 2010-09-09 15:34:54.000 - Stacey Kawecki,  Observer and Meteorologist fog There's that saying, 'If you don't like the weather in New England, wait five minutes'. However, waiting five minutes outside today would leave you soaked to bone, shivering and fairly unhappy. The weather has barely changed since the wee hours of this morning. By barely, I mean that thick, wet fog turned to thick, wet fog, with rain, then no rain, then drizzle. It is one of those days that we reserve the right to call gross. Because our job is the weather, we're not able to conveniently ignore the

Tuesday evening shift change 2010-09-08 16:23:15.000 - Steve Welsh,  IT Observer NULL Since starting at the observatory, nearly three years ago now, Wednesdays have been a day for change. Either it was time to head up the mountain or the shift was up and in was time to head back down to the low lands. I can only remember four times when this tradition has been broken - the first was back in 2008 when Christmas Eve fell on a Wednesday so the shift change was performed a day early, the second was due to a mechanical problem with the

NULL 2010-09-08 00:15:00.000 - Harriet and Priscilla,  Summit Volunteers We're back!!!!!Cooking for the crew this year was like discovering our free, creative inner selves. We have evolved, in our third year, from "Thelma and Louise" to "Julia and Julie" to, this year, "Frik and Frak"----which included a number of flops---but these kids eat ANYTHING!! "Snow Pudding" became "Rime Ice" and "Ginger Cookies" became--Voila--"Flat Rocks." A new MWOB was created---"Rime on the Rocks"--served with a yummy Custard Sauce. Other efforts included an excellent "Carrot Cake" which took more time to research than to bake and an attempt at "Challah Bread" became

Summer Heat? 2010-09-06 22:25:38.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Staff Meteorologist Does our summers heat stack up like these clouds? In June, I predicted to my coworkers that this summer would break our stations all time high temperature of 72F. It seemed realistic at the time. Long term models showed several high temperatures that had us in the 70s. But as the days progressed and those once distant temperatures moved closer and closer, the maximum temperatures would slowly nudge back down to below the 70 degree bar. June passed, and nothing. July passed, and nothing. And then August passed, normally our warmest

Shoulder Seasons 2010-09-05 20:15:54.000 - Mike Finnegan,  IT Observer For being 35F, foggy, and with the occasional rain shower, there sure were a lot of people up on the summit today. They came in all manners, up the Cog, the Auto Road, or hiking. I believe it was the hikers that looked the coldest for when it is just above freezing and raining, there isn't much one can do to stay warm. It is also days like today when rocks are slippery and it takes surprisingly little for an injury to come along. Put these two elements together and it

In the wake of Earl 2010-09-04 17:35:37.000 - Brian Clark,  Observer and Meteorologist NULL What is now Tropical Storm Earl has passed by and will soon become extratropical as it merges with a cold front off to our north. The storm ended up dumping just over two and a half inches of rain last night, but that is pretty much the only real effect of the storm to speak of. Winds have been increasing through the day today, but that is an indirect effect of Earl and we are only seeing what we would consider moderate wind speeds. So all

First week 2010-09-03 18:49:01.000 - Erica Sandschulte,  Summit Intern It has been with out a doubt a great week! It being my third complete day on the mountain, this morning was the first time I was able to see thirty miles out to the horizon with some clear blue breaks overhead. It was a beautiful morning. As the day went on clouds started to move in and by the afternoon we were completely covered. This is my first time on the mountain and I get to spend it as an intern for the fall season. I am thrilled to be

My Name is Earl 2010-09-02 23:16:30.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Staff Meteorologist Birds eye view of Hurricane Earl. I could talk about a lot of things this evening. I could talk about the heat and humidity of the past week. I could talk about the thick haze and poor air quality of the past two days. I could talk about the decrease in crowds on the summit now that schools are starting back up. I could go on and on but let's be realistic; there is really only one thing to really talk about that is on a lot of people's

Hurricane Earl 2010-09-01 21:51:51.000 - Brian Clark,  Observer and Meteorologist NULL The big story in the 'weather world' over the last couple of days has been Hurricane Earl. After bringing quite a bit of rain, high winds, and big waves to areas of the Caribbean, the big question now is, where will the storm go next? Current forecasts show the system grazing the Outer Banks of the Carolinas, and then continuing along the coastline. While there is still cause for speculation as to exactly where the storm will track, it looks as though there is a very good chance it

NULL 2010-08-31 16:37:30.000 - Jennifer Finn,  Summit Intern Half the cold room painted As the fog that has engulfed the mountain all day begins to clear out, my second week on the Rockpile slowly comes to an end. It has been quite an eventful and, luckily at some times, sunny week.On my last off week, I spent a good half day at L.L Bean stocking up on all the hiking and cold weather gear that I had quickly realized I needed. I got my first (real) pair of hiking boots, so I was itching to go out and try them