NULL 2009-07-01 07:36:17.000 - Tim Ryan,  Summit Volunteer View from Mt. Clay Random thoughts on the past week from a first time volunteer:1.Room With a View. My first surprise was waking up Thursday morning at 3:15 am (that's 4:15 for those of you on daylight savings time, EST). The sky was red from the rising sun, and from the top bunk in the rather spartan sleeping quarters of the Observatory, Mount Clay and Mount Jefferson loomed large right outside my window. Fantastic!2.Undercast. On Thursday, I rose early like a kid on Christmas Day, and ran outside. At 7:00 am there

the week 2009-06-30 10:58:27.000 - Stacey Kawecki,  Observer and Meteorologist A most pleasant surprise! After a bit of a late night filled with music education, I stumbled groggily into the weather room at a timely 5:35 AM EST. Instead of the expected gray light of incessant fog, my pupils quickly contracted in the brightness of full sun being reflected off a spectacular undercast! After a few days of persistent rain and fog, not even the strongest coffee will awake the senses like the sun (though a cup of coffee I did have). While I studiously took pictures and avoided any

Hike Safe 2009-06-29 04:58:57.000 - Mike Carmon,  Observer and Meteorologist Cumulonimbus Cloud producing a Thunderstorm The summit of Mt. Washington is quite an extreme place. As our website boasts, bitter cold, dense fog, heavy snow, and record winds are a regular thing up on the rock pile. Unfortunately, the 'home of the world's worst weather' is a reputation that many believe applies solely to the winter months. This is certainly not the case, and I will use this shift week as an example. Fog is more prevalent during the summer. We have reported fog every day this shift week. But

Edutrip Plug 2009-06-27 16:18:11.000 - Peter Crane,  Director of Programs NULL If you're a regular visitor to the Observatory website, and a fan of Mount Washington, we hope you are aware that the Observatory has several informal educational programs to give you an opportunity to spend time here on the mountain and to learn more about it. Among the programs are Summer EduTrips, which include van transportation up and down, an overnight at the Observatory, and a full guided tour during your day-and-a-half on the mountain. It you have an affection for this mountain, it's a great 'immersion' experience in

NULL 2009-06-26 09:18:03.000 - Amy Terborg,  Summit Intern NULL Ever heard the saying that staring at the radar won't make anything come your way? Well it seemed to be true yesterday. All afternoon we were wishing that thunderstorms would bubble up, and our wish came true. Except for the fact that they seemed to bubble up everywhere but here. New York, Vermont, Canada, and even Maine got hit with a few storms, but we were stuck in a bubble. Last night after dark however, things started looking up a little bit and we actually got to see some action. Though

Great Seats 2009-06-25 10:29:08.000 - Lynne Route,  Summit Volunteer NULL Volunteering at the Mt. Washington Observatory is a lot more than just cooking. It is about having the best seats to some of the greatest shows on earth. The shows are more than just science and nature: they are eclectic, uplifting, and comforting.The seat at the dinner table is more desirable than superbowl tickets. Where else can you sit and break bread with a diverse group of people who work in the most unusual office in the world. Although they are scientists and are unusually fond of weather, the folks

NULL 2009-06-24 10:32:40.000 - Tom Soisson,  Summit Volunteer NULL Hi, my name is Tom and I am the volunteer at MWO for this week. I am here because I thought that it would be an interesting place to spend some time. And it is. The views and the weather are very interesting. Also, as an ex-science teacher, watching the laboratory work and being able to ask endless questions of the staff is fun. In exchange, I have to cook. I'm not a cook. After 6 days I'm sure the staff has figured that out. In my mind it's a necessary

Wxworms 2009-06-22 16:52:38.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Staff Meteorologist Marty looking over an undercast from June 19th. Back in April, I was reading an article by Stephen King in Entertainment Weekly about his trouble with Earworms. After reading the article, I realized I have been "infected" by Earworms many times in my life and in fact most of you reading this have also caught the "bug" at some point. But fear not as this bug is not contagious per say nor is it even a physical entity. Instead, an earworm is the term for a portion of a song that repeats

National Lightning Safety Awareness Week 2009-06-21 17:07:33.000 - Brian Clark,  Observer and Meteorologist A distand thunderstorm - Summer 2007 Today marks the beginning of National Lightning Safety Awareness Week. Obviously as a scientific organization that mainly deals with weather as well as an organization that works to educate the public as part of our mission, spreading the word about lightning safety is very important.In general, the National Weather Service has slightly changed their stance on lightning safety in the outdoors, now saying that NO place outdoors is safe. At the same time, they do continue to offer some suggestions on

49th Annual Mt. Washington Road Race 2009-06-20 11:45:37.000 - Alex Jacques,  Summit Intern Spectators anxiously awaiting the first runners. Today was the 49th Annual Mt. Washington Road Race. Runners from all over the world took on the 7.6 mile challenge up the Mount Washington Auto Road. While the race started below the clouds, runners were greeted to a picturesque undercast and gorgeous conditions on the summit. Temperatures in the 50s with little to no wind were an unexpected but welcomed treat for those taking in the race.In my spare time, I was able to make it over to the finish