NULL 2010-04-26 17:49:12.000 - Mike Finnegan,  IT Observer NULL Looking out the window a bit ago, I saw something that I have never seen before on the summit. I called my Mom and Winnie, our two volunteers for the week, up to see something I describe as quite unusual. They looked out the window and said, 'Yeah...so...it's snowing...' What was odd was the fact it was snowing straight down. Most often when it is snowing, it is snowing sideways with most of the snow being blown over or off the summit. Now, although unusual, it is not the first time

More tent testing 2010-04-25 17:45:46.000 - Brian Clark,  Observer and Meteorologist Marty, solidifying his ownership of the summit Yesterday Mike F. and I set up yet another tent that we are testing for Backpacker Magazine. This tent is the 6th and final tent tested for them, and like 4 of the other tents that we have tested over the last month or so, it did not make it through the night completely intact. Winds were sustained at 'only' 40 mph, but yet managed to snap the pole that supports the front vestibule.I happened to be the one who attempted to

Signs of summer 2010-04-24 23:42:13.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Staff Meteorologist Todays spring sunset. Summer is on its way. The signs are all around us, and I'm not just talking about the weather. If I were talking about the weather of recent though, you would never guess that summer was approaching. When we headed down on Wednesday, April 14th for our off week, the summit had about eight inches on the ground with a lot of exposed rocks. Since that time, 17 inches of new snow has fallen on the summit. Not all of that has stuck around as the winds

Seeking Ideas 2010-04-23 17:44:57.000 - Mike Finnegan,  IT Observer NULL Most of the time, working on a mountaintop for a week proves not to be terribly inconvenient. Life is planned around the fact that once I'm up here, I'm not leaving until the following Wednesday. Every once in a while though life throws you a curveball and pays not a bit of attention to the planning - I am teetering on that point right now. Driving over to Vermont last weekend I felt that my car, a 4-cylinder 1996 Toyota Camry, was a feeling a bit less powerful than normal.

Marty ventures outside 2010-04-22 21:00:07.000 - Brian Clark,  Observer and Meteorologist Marty, looking very regal I'm sorry to report there were no thunderstorms today. There was definitely plenty of instability and convection going on though, as evidenced by the towering cumulus that developed by the late morning hours. The contrast between the billowing clouds and the deep blue sky was pretty neat. An hour or two later, showers started to pop up around the summit although no precipitation actually fell on the mountain itself at the time. Besides the cool clouds and distant showers, this morning was very pleasant. Temperatures

An uneventful shift change 2010-04-21 22:01:44.000 - Brian Clark,  Observer and Meteorologist As much as the summit staff loves the excitement of an eventful weather day, it's always nice to have a 'good weather' shift change day like today. This is especially true considering how many difficult shift changes we have had this year, and even one postponed shift change, due to adverse weather conditions.Not only was the weather uneventful, but the trip up the road itself was as well. Usually this time of year, that is not the cast regardless of how good or bad the weather is. The

Bad Weather Shift? 2010-04-20 05:19:21.000 - Mike Carmon,  Staff Meteorologist Not done yet... It seems our fortunes as the good weather shift are taking a turn for the worse!Here are some facts to support that claim:Since this past Friday, April 16th, we have recorded only 10 sunshine minutes (out of a possible 3,307).We picked up 15.2" of new snow in three days (April 16 - 18).Rime ice began to form just after midnight on April 16, and has not ceased yet!We have reported freezing fog for 77 consecutive hours (as of 6 a.m. this morning)!As a result of this persistent

NULL 2010-04-18 18:00:36.000 - Stacey Kawecki,  Observer and Meteorologist NULL The Weather Channel didn't ignite my obsession with weather (that was Twister, as many of you readers know), but it sure helped it grow. Being able to tune into weather at any time was definitely a novelty of which I took great advantage. The 'Local on the 8's' was convenient and whenever there was a hurricane or severe weather not where I was, it sated my appetite. The Weather Channel was part of my daily routine. In 2006 at the American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting, in Atlanta, I was lucky

Inferno 2010-04-17 13:40:05.000 - Drew Hill,  Summit Intern The Inferno. That's sort of an ironic name, eah? Temperatures up here haven't hit above freezing since April 9th. In fact, we've been getting ''pounded'' with snow since yesterday morning. I suppose this hellish race may have been named more for Dante's masterpiece, though… that's an interesting thought.If you'll kindly allow me to take you back to your college days of studying 14th century draconian literature, I think I'll write a bit to this. So, according to Dante, hell is made up of 9 circles-- each one more awful than the last.

Skeleton 2010-04-16 22:36:48.000 - Mike Carmon,  Staff Meteorologist Valley, ho! Sometimes, after pondering the meaning of life, I sit and wonder what the origins of the phrase 'skeleton crew' consist of (well, that might be a tad melodramatic).In any case, that question will remain a shrouded mystery to me, as I did not do the usual bit of research I normally would before writing a comment such as this one. The reason for this lies within my question.A skeleton crew is exactly what is present on the summit this week. Our fearless leader Steve has taken his leave of us