Thermo-shack Fabrication 2010-07-27 20:49:51.000 - Rebecca Scholand,  Summit Intern Welding the base June 15th I spoke about the "new" thermo-shack that I was restoring to replace the current one in use at the observatory. When I last spoke about the progress, Wayne Peterson, one of our snow tractor operators was going to be giving me a refresher on welding so a new housing could be made. Well with the refresher behind me I have been constructing the new one and I must say welding is awesome. I am a fan of power tools in general but this is so much

Crazy week 2010-07-26 18:18:12.000 - Hanna Brewer,  Summit Intern Low clouds nestled around Mt. Clay Oh my goodness... What an exhausting week! And it's not even over yet!! Between visitors and Seek the Peak there has been no rest for the weary here on Mt. Washington. Thursday kicked off our shift with an overnight Summit Adventure Trip (which means sharing our living quarters with seven extra guests), Friday involved a lot of preparing for Seek the Peak plus giving tours to the first hikers of the event, Saturday was of course Seek the Peak itself (meaning constant tours of the

STP Wedding? 2010-07-25 18:56:10.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Staff Meteorologist Reception for STP '10. Saturday was a very busy day for the summit and valley staff of the Mount Washington Observatory as we held the 10th annual Seek the Peak fundraiser. This year it was our biggest event yet and to me, the best one we have had since I started working here. While I wasn't involved as I had been in the past three years due to being on the summit for a change, the small portion I was involved in went smoothly and kept me on my toes. The

Go time! 2010-07-23 10:13:51.000 - Brian Clark,  Observer and Meteorologist Seak the Peak 10, the biggest event in the history of the Observatory, is officially here! Executive Director Scot Henley, other valley staff, and a host of volunteers are at Cranmore setting up for tonight's kick-off concert with national recording artist Assembly of Dust. Other valley staff are at the Weather Discovery Center preparing for registration, which begins at noon today, and for the kick-off party before the concert this evening. Here on the summit, our volunteer Dennis is busy in the kitchen preparing cookies for all the hikers tomorrow

STP!! 2010-07-22 15:32:57.000 - Brian Clark,  Observer and Meteorologist Yesterday was an eventful day. Not only was it the usual shift change day, which is always busy, but it was a busy weather day as well. For the first time this summer, my shift got to experience some 'real' severe weather. As the day progressed into the early afternoon, some severe cells started to pop up, and a couple grazed us. Then a huge line of intense storms headed our way from Vermont, and there was no missing them this time. Winds increased and shifted drastically in a short period

Volunteer notes 2010-07-21 20:16:14.000 - Susan Freeborn and Rob Maier,  Summit Volunteers Tower views The summit of Mt. Washington has always had a special place in our hearts, although we've come from different directions to get here. Rob: The trek to the summit of Mt. Washington has always been interwoven in my life. I came to New Hampshire as a child to Lake Ossippee, and always hoped for a clear day to see Mt. Washington. In the middle part of my life I hiked up Tuck's and wandered over to Lakes of the Clouds, Monroe and Madison. In the latter

Bust! 2010-07-20 23:45:00.000 - Mike Carmon,  Staff Meteorologist Oops! Bust! Another shift is winding to a close, and I've become a bit jaded with this temperamental rock pile this Observatory sits atop. This, by far, has been the most challenging week of forecasting since I began working here nearly two years ago. It was bad enough to forecast clearing that never happened, or thick fog that suddenly lifted. I've become accustomed to unpredictable and inexplicable fog in my tenure here. However, Tuesday brought a failure that I personally consider to be one of the worst in the world of meteorology.

NULL 2010-07-19 17:36:19.000 - Stacey Kawecki,  Observer and Meteorologist tranquility In case you were wondering what my favorite trail on Mount Washington is, it's the West Side Trail. It connects the Crawford Path and the Gulfside Trail and takes you along the western portion of the mountain (hence its name). The loop is less than three miles long, there is very little up and down, and it's a quiet section of the mountain; perfect for one who craves a little tranquility.The view of Monroe and of Lakes is beautiful, and for most of the trek, the summit buildings of Mount

NULL 2010-07-18 15:56:00.000 - Kristin Raisanen,  Summit Intern Marty in a Box In the past, the observatory staff, particularly the summit staff, has been predominately male. However, this summer the staff on both shifts is either evenly spilt between males and females or is mostly women! I knew it was going to be a special summer when I saw the list with my fellow interns' names on it and all four of us were girls. After getting my degree in meteorology and graduating with only about 6 other girls, in a class of about 25, I know how significant having

Thunder oh Thunder 2010-07-17 23:09:43.000 - Mike Carmon,  Staff Meteorologist NULL Sometimes life gives you subtle reminders. Then there are the ones that bludgeon you over the head. There was nothing subtle about tonight.As I lamented yesterday, I have been longing for a thunderstorm, not just for enjoyment sake, but also to put a little confidence back into my forecasting. My patience was rewarded earlier tonight.I went outdoors for my 8:45 EST observation, and noticed a bit of lightning well off to the west. I hadn't peered at the radar before going outside, so the subtle show caught me a