Solstice 2010-06-21 23:59:02.000 - Stacey Kawecki,  Observer and Meteorologist Summer Solstice Shindig We were all hoping to witness both sunrise and sunset for the summer solstice. Alas, the mountain hasn't failed us and we'll hopefully be treated to at least a sunset. Even though pressure has been rising since yesterday, the stronger than expected winds combined with a weak upper level disturbance kept the summit completely enveloped in thick, murky fog until just this afternoon. As the aforementioned high pressure continues to build west, winds should diminish overnight and we might even get a chance to do some intense star-gazing!

NULL 2010-06-20 17:30:20.000 - Stacey Kawecki,  Observer and Meteorologist The boss dances too! "Dance…even if you have no where to do it but in your own living room."-Baz Luhrmann - Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)Dancing, like any exercise, releases endorphins and makes you feel good. That's why the night observers (who often miss sunlight hours, especially during the winter) have regular dance parties to boost their serotonin levels (sorry guys, cat's out of the bag!). People dance for all kinds of reasons: exercise, social interaction, peer pressure, one too many drinks, and mainly celebration. People gather for birthdays, high school

NULL 2010-06-19 18:57:47.000 - Kristin Raisanen,  Summit Intern Spectators waiting for the runners at the summit. Today was the 50th annual Mount Washington Road Race. For those who don't know, every year runners of all ages from around the world converge on Mount Washington to run the 7.6 miles up the auto road to the summit. That's 7.6 miles uphill the entire way!!Hundreds of spectators waited at the summit and cheered on the runners as they crossed the finish line. Our volunteers, Jane and Ron, were two of those spectators, taking pictures of the day's happenings. This year there were

Weekend Events 2010-06-18 20:32:30.000 - Sabrina Lomans,  Summit Intern NULL Today was a busy day at the summit! The clearing out of yesterday's fog revealed a mostly clear day which would be inspiration enough to come to the summit of Mount Washington. Additionally, the weekend's upcoming festivities (fathers day and the road race) and the winding down of bike week, there were certainly plenty of reasons to come out and explore.However, for those who are planning on coming to Mount Washington tomorrow, the Auto Road will be running on a slightly different schedule. Due to the road race, the Auto

Smoke Returns 2010-06-18 04:32:08.000 - Mike Carmon,  Staff Meteorologist Fiery Sunrise As I pondered all evening regarding how on earth to fill this space with words, I found myself coming up with nothing. Sure, I've had writer's blocks before, but I've managed to work through them. However, I was drawing a complete and utter blank on what to talk to you about today. I was hoping that somehow, someway, from somewhere, inspiration would come. My wish has come true.We had been in the fog for about 29 hours straight, from approx. 5 p.m. EST Wednesday until 10 p.m. last night.

NULL 2010-06-16 17:13:51.000 - Margaret and David,  Summit Volunteers NULL Hello and goodbye to all at Mount Washington!It's the end of a very unique experience at the top of the mountain, cheffing for the crew of the MWO. We were warmly welcomed and went straight to work with non-stop prep, cooking, baking, cleaning, polishing, scrubbing, baking, cooking, baking, cooking...This crew never stops eating!! And they're all so happy with the continuous baked goods and fresh meals! Easy to please!One gorgeous afternoon for David and I, hiking to the Lakes in the Clouds. Rough terrain, wet fog and occasional light drizzle

"New" Thermo-Shack 2010-06-15 21:32:50.000 - Rebecca Scholand,  Summit Intern Currently in use at the observatory is a thermo-shack that was installed about 15 years ago and has received numerous beatings from the harsh Mount Washington winter and numerous coats of paint. The "thermo-shack", for those of you who may not be familiar with it, is an outdoor protected housing for our minimum and maximum thermometers. In need of some serious repair I was called into action. We had acquired a second thermo-shack from the National Weather Service last year that was in need of some repair but overall in excellent

Bear! 2010-06-14 14:30:15.000 - Hanna Brewer,  Summit Intern Life on the summit isn't quite as hard as I expected it to be when I applied for this internship. Don't get me wrong, there is always a lot of work to be done while on the clock, but unfortunately most of this work involves sitting at my computer. The sedentary work day combined with the baked goods and feasts our volunteers prepare for us... Well let's just say I definitely won't be wasting away during my time here. In hopes of balancing out the meals we eat with some exercise, I've

Forecasting woes 2010-06-13 16:43:50.000 - Brian Clark,  Observer and Meteorologist NULL I went down the mountain yesterday in order to attend, and present at, the Observatory's Annual Meeting. This meeting gives an opportunity for our members to connect more intimately with the organization, and also for those members to connect with staff like myself, as well as our board of trustees. The event went off without a hitch (thanks Karen!) and a good time was had by all. If you missed out this year, be sure to watch for an announcement about the Annual Meeting around this time next year.

NULL 2010-06-12 22:29:47.000 - Mike Finnegan,  IT Observer Sunset from Mt. Clay Mount Washington is an interesting place to forecast for. Well, this is what people tell me anyway. It's the only place I've ever forecasted for, not being a meteorologist. This works out a bit in my favor at times though because I have an out when what I forecast is wrong. I haven't written the forecast the last two days, but it has obviously been difficult to pin down accurately. Yesterday we were supposed to be in the clear. I awoke to a beautiful undercast which quickly lifted