The end of ski season 2009-07-04 17:13:01.000 - Brian Clark,  Observer and Meteorologist No snow left in Airplane Gully Happy Independance Day to everyone out there! Hopefully you are getting the weather you wanted for your planned activities. We certainly are not. It has been raining on and off all day with plenty of thick wet fog that will likely hang around long enough to prevent us from seeing any fireworks in the valley below tonight.Yesterday there was a bit of a mixup among summit staff as both Mike F. and myself ended up posting Observer Comments. Since Mike's was

Staying Inside 2009-07-03 16:57:34.000 - Mike Finnegan,  IT Observer "And we're back in the fog." This has been said quite a bit today, which in a way is a good sign. To be back in the fog is to imply there was a break from the fog. Besides that, there hasn't been a drop of precipitation today. At this point, a day with sunshine and no rain may as well be a success. In a few hours, this fog may light up with the approach of a band of lightning. Talking with Ryan today, he saw continuous lightning over Maine

End of the ski season 2009-07-03 16:18:03.000 - Brian Clark,  Observer and Meteorologist No snow left in Airplane Gully This afternoon saw an unexpected break in the fog that has engulfed the summit for the majority of the past week. This, along with seasonable temperatures in the upper forties and relatively calm winds made for a good chance to get outside for a little bit.My short hike down to the Great Gulf Headwall had another purpose as well. I wanted to see if there was any snow left for some July skiing. Just slightly less than a month ago, Mike

Alpine Tundra 2009-07-02 16:38:11.000 - Hedda Peterson,  Summit Intern For some time now the view out of the observatory window has only revealed the surrounding lichen covered boulders. If we are lucky the fog will clear for seconds at a time, reassuring us that the landscape does in fact continue past the borders we have become so accustomed to. I thought I would take some time to refresh all of our memories as to what that landscape is...!When one imagines a tundra biome, their mind often takes them to places like Alaska's Arctic Tundra, or Greenland. Rarely do people consider

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