Visiting the Jefferson Snow Patch 2019-07-12 05:29:57.000 - Ryan Knapp, Weather Observer/Staff Meteorologist   During our previous shift on the summit, my coworkers and I discussed where and when we would hike in our off-week. After discussing everyone's schedules, it seemed as though Tuesday, 9 July would work out the best for most. As for the where we narrowed our decision down to the peak of Mt Jefferson via the Caps Ridge Trail. But if we were going to hike Mt Jefferson, we were all in agreement that we would add a side-journey down to the “Jefferson snow patch” on

The White Mountains temporarily become the Smokey Mountains 2019-07-10 06:26:37.000 - Jay Broccolo, Weather Observer/Meteorologist   The past couple of weeks have been quite hazy, lowering visibility down to as short of a distance as 8 miles today and even lower in the valley areas. Today, the 10th of July, could be even hazier, dropping visibility below 7 miles, which is mildly exciting for us because we can code a weather phenomenon that we normally do not get to see, FU, which is smoke (types with a smile). That also means the air is dense with particulates. The NWS defines Haze (HZ) as

Marty's Trip to the Vet 2019-07-08 18:24:06.000 - Ethan Rogers, Summit Intern   Marty the cat, our world-renowned summit mascot, made his yearly trip off the mountain today. His annual trip to the veterinarian came today, and boy was it an interesting morning. Keeping a close eye on Marty’s health, who is now 14 years old, is an important job for those who work here on the summit. To get a cat off the summit of a mountain in the middle of a work week, there was a lot of planning and personnel involved. First, because Marty does not like

Plant Terrarium 2 years on Summit 2019-07-06 17:33:32.000 - Adam Gill, Weather Observer/IT Specialist   I have been taking care of a carnivorous plant terrarium on the summit for several years now. I have always had the hobby of growing carnivorous plants and I wanted a way to continue that while I worked on the summit. I had an old fish tank that I have had since High School and have modified it to support plants. All I had to do was get a bulb that would support the light spectrum for photosynthesis. I have also got a timer that

Heat and Humidity on the Rise 2019-07-01 09:20:17.000 - Thomas Padham, Weather Observer/Education Specialist   After a cool and often rainy start to the summer season, it looks like the heat and humidity will be rising across the Northeast to start the month of July. For the summit of Mount Washington we really haven’t seen a truly “warm” day yet this summer, with our maximum temperature for the year so far sitting at just 60°F. Most summer seasons we typically reach the mid-upper 60s, with last year reaching 71°F; just one degree shy of our all-time record high of 72°F.

Breakfast of Champions 2019-06-29 16:09:04.000 - Anna Smith, Summit Intern     "Freeze-frying" an egg in -30°F (-34°C) temperatures.    Breakfast on the summit is whatever you make of it. Whether it is pancakes from last night’s “breakfast for dinner” (very convenient leftovers), a bowl of oatmeal and fruit (a personal favorite), or just a cup of Joe, hopefully it’s something that will get you through a full day of work and weather. Yet, one breakfast rises above the rest, figuratively and literally... The Breakfast of Champions.   It isn’t necessarily the food itself that gets you going, nor the

High Altitude Fitness 2019-06-28 14:38:11.000 - John King, Summit Intern   Work and bedtime may be the most common time spent at the Observatory in addition to some observation and synoptic times etc., but what about health time? In other words, how do we stay active? As a part of being on the highest peak in the Northeast surrounded by the White Mountain National Forest, there are a number of short hikes to do while staying on the summit. To name a few: Lake of the Clouds, Clay Col, and the Alpine Garden. These hikes, among others are just outside

Instrumentation by the Decade: The 50's 2019-06-26 07:38:03.000 - Charlie Peachey, IT Intern   The 50’s were another busy period of time in Mount Washington history. The U.S Army and Navy were working on a joint research project at the mountain. The notoriety of our rime icing and extreme conditions drew them to the summit to test their prototype jet engines and helicopters. Beginning in 1948, they set up a hanger on the lower parking lot of the summit for storing supplies and equipment (pictured below). Using the cog railway they were able to haul their massive jet engines and

Alpine Foliage 2019-06-24 09:00:31.000 - Benjamin Charles, Summit Intern   Here at Mount Washington we are home of the world’s worst weather, where we experience some of the harshest winters in the world with the combination of hurricane force winds of 100 mph and higher four out of the seven days of the week and extreme icing. It is hard to believe any wildlife at all would be able to withstand such extreme climatic conditions. The alpine zone found above tree line is one of the few living things able to survive every year. The alpine zone consists of various

All Cooped Up 2019-06-23 07:54:43.000 - Austin Patrick, Summit Intern   Events much like the weather are unique on top of the summit. For the past couple of weeks, we have seen many different groups come up and down the mountain. For the past two weeks, the Auto Road was filled with motorcycles visiting Mount Washington for the annual bike week that originates in Laconia. The annual Mount Washington Foot Race also took place last week. This saw a multitude of runners making their way up to the mountain with the goal to reach the top. This year even ended