Forecasting, it's harder than it looks. 2009-06-08 21:44:36.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Staff Meteorologist Forecast nailed, but I did not see this coming. Our interns are a much needed and much appreciated group of people that, in general, work very well with us and work very hard at any task we provide them. One such task is their intern projects. These projects run the spectrum of topics depending on what their backgrounds are prior to arriving here. Some recent projects that come to mind are computer programs they have written for our instruments, data input, El Nino/La Nina impact studies on

A Fairytale Life 2009-06-07 21:25:23.000 - Mike Finnegan,  IT Observer I could write this comment on the trip Brian, Alex, and I took over to the Great Gulf to seek some June turns, but I think you would be better off looking at this week's ObsCast. The short video shows the trip from beginning to end, leaving work and returning home with a few runs in between. Instead I will tell you of a different enchanting place. Within this mountaintop citadel, there is a room with panoramic windows that run from the west to the east, the rocky ridge of

First Internship Comment 2009-06-06 15:31:18.000 - Alex Jacques,  Summit Intern Beautiful Summit View on Friday 6/5 It has been a gorgeous stretch of weather over the past couple of days. Clear skies and visibility of over 80 miles at times has made for some breath-taking views in every direction. This morning, we were treated to an undercast below the summit. I must say that I am anxiously awaiting some more active weather, but I will absolutely take the views (like the one here) and picturesque sunsets for now. This is my fourth day interning for the Mount Washington Observatory and

A moonlit hike 2009-06-05 16:44:54.000 - Brian Clark,  Observer and Meteorologist Conditions last night were perfect for a little night hike down to Lakes of the Clouds. Temperatures on the summit were in the upper 30's, winds were around 10-15 mph, and probably most importantly, the mountain was free of fog with nearly a full moon in the sky. So, after dinner and right at sunset, Mike Finnegan, our special volunteer Patrick, and I headed out.Besides the weather, there were two other reasons for our hike. First of all, the Lakes of the Clouds AMC Hut just opened to the

My days in paradise 2009-06-04 23:11:05.000 - Patrick Tagan,  Summit Volunteer My first sunset on the mountain It is nice to be part of the observatory team up here on Mount Washington. Over the past few days, I have gotten to learn all about the instruments, the techniques, and the people that make this weather observatory unique. From pulling wires to learning about weather observations, I have acquired a variety of new skills. My adventure started on Tuesday, when I ascended to 6,288 feet above sea level. I was welcomed to a cool 34 degrees Fahrenheit temperature and around 32

NULL 2009-06-03 07:10:47.000 - Amy Terborg,  Summit Intern My first view from the summit Today I have achieved a great accomplishment. I have survived my first week on the summit and have decided that I have the coolest summer job! Who else can say that they experienced a hailstorm and had to de-ice in the same day? If this week was an indication of what the rest of the summer is going to be like then it should be an amazing season.Just want to say a quick thank you to the crew up here for welcoming me into the family

Hermit Lake plug 2009-06-02 06:11:11.000 - Cara Rudio,  Marketing and Communications Coordinator NULL It's not every day that an accomplished scientist welcomes the general public to tag along on a research expedition, but this weekend that is exactly what we're inviting you to do.Join Biologist Scott Smyers and Mount Washington Observatory Educator Casey Taylor June 6-7 for 'Hermit Lake Adventure,' an overnight exploration of this high alpine pond. Located about halfway up Mount Washington at the base of Tuckerman Ravine, Hermit Lake is one of the few high-altitude bodies of water in the White Mountains.Smyers has studied the behavior and

Winter returns 2009-06-01 05:25:04.000 - Mike Carmon,  Observer and Meteorologist Winter Returns! Stubborn is a word that comes to mind when I think of winter. The most cold and callous season of the year has decided once again to rear its stubborn head, making a (somewhat unwelcome) return to the summit yesterday. For most of this week, we had been enjoying temperatures in the 40s and experiencing weather more indicative of summer (wet and soupy fog, thunderstorms, hail, etc.). However, a nasty cold front blasted its way through yesterday, bringing about some dramatic changes.At 4:45 p.m. EST yesterday, the temperature

Hailstone Ice Cream 2009-05-31 09:14:34.000 - Amy Terborg,  Summit Intern Aftermath of the Hailstorm Yesterday was my first chance to see a thunderstorm from the summit. We were literally inside the storm! One minute it was raining the next there was lima bean seed sized hail bouncing off the side of the tower. It was an amazing sight to see as the hail piled up all around the summit.The fun didn't end there though. Unbeknownst to me there was an ice cream maker ball downstairs in the kitchen. Stacey decided we should make good use of the piles of hail

An undercast morning gives us a brief break from the fog. 2009-05-30 11:44:34.000 - Scott Wehrwein,  Summit Intern View to the Northeast Undercast! In addition to the joy of being able to see further than 100 feet, which we hadn't since we got here on Wednesday, I got the extra thrill of my first real undercast viewed from solid ground this morning. I had seen a layer of clouds below me from an airplane, but it's different to be standing on a land mass that rises up through the clouds. Watching the clouds tumbling over the Northern Presidentials and slowly