Return... 2008-07-31 09:30:00.000 - Jim Salge,  Temporary Observer Mirror to the past... I haven’t had the opportunity to write in this space for nearly a year, and it is truly a great feeling to be back at work on the summit. After working for the Observatory for the better part of 5 years, I moved out of the valley to Southern NH to teach high school science last summer. The experience has been everything I hoped it would be, both in the classroom, where I get to challenge the next generation of scientists, and in the mountains where I introduce

volunteer comment 2008-07-30 08:09:56.000 - Steve Mauran,  Summit Volunteer This has been an incredible week for me as a first time volunteer. Not knowing what to expect and admittedly a little nervous, things quickly began to happen in more ways than one. I got briefed on the duties of a volunteer when I arrived on Wednesday and on Thursday began to find my way through an unfamiliar kitchen, in an effort to produce a worthy meal. In the mean time a storm was bearing down on the summit bringing rain and wind gusts to 70 mph. Thursday saw the arrival

changing weather 2008-07-29 10:56:12.000 - Jeff Wehrwein,  Summit Intern Saturday's sunrise Yesterday morning we had a rare warm moment on the summit. As Steve, Dennis, Lisa, and I were (yet again) mounting the MeTEK sonic anemometer on the stage office, the wind was dead calm, the temperature was near 60, and the sun was shining brightly. Standing on the ladder, I had an unusual sensation of being too hot. Most days I wear long pants and a fleece when I'm outside, but yesterday I was much happier in shorts and a t-shirt. This summer, the weather on the summit has

seek the peak 2008-07-28 10:58:32.000 - Lisa Hodges,  Summit Intern The last few rays illuminate some high clouds. Saturday was a busy day on Mt. Washington, thanks to 250 hikers who ventured to the summit to Seek the Peak. At the summit, they were rewarded with views of over 40 miles, tours of the observatory, and hundreds of homemade cookies. (We’ve been enjoying the leftover cookies all day.) The event was a huge success. We raised over $97,000 through the hike-a-thon. Some members of the summit crew were allowed to venture down to the Seek the Peak banquet at the

A hike, lightning, and a meteor 2008-07-27 06:30:12.000 - Mike Finnegan,  IT Observer Well, we’re back in the fog now, but let’s not focus too much on that. The last two days have been quite pleasant, with the summits in the clear and quite sunny. Friday I woke up bright and early at noon to go out for a hike. I decided to head over to Jefferson, as I had only hiked that peak from the north and wanted to see what the section of trail between Clay and Jefferson was like. Packing a day pack, I realized once again

Seek The Peek 2008-07-25 17:30:48.000 - Steve Welsh,  IT Observer Steve and Dennis making cookies Yesterday was very quiet on the summit as the storms, which wrecked havoc on the southern part of New Hampshire, kept most people away. Today, however, has been a totally different story. The morning started out as normal but we soon broke free of the fog and, as the day progressed, it turned out to be really nice with calm winds, warm temperatures and even some blue sky! The summit was crowed with tourists and we have been very busy giving tours to members. We

severe weather 2008-07-24 16:35:49.000 - Stacey Kawecki,  Observer Radar Love A severe thunderstorm, as defined by the National Weather Service, is a thunderstorm that has at least ¾ inch hail and/or wind gusts of at least 50 knots (58 mph). They are capable of producing large hail, strong, gusty surface winds, flash floods, and tornadoes. New Hampshire got a big taste of severe thunderstorms today. Tornadoes, the actual weather phenomenon that inspired my career in meteorology, are extremely complex entities and their formation is still not fully understood. Usually, when thinking of storm chasing and severe thunderstorms, one thinks immediately

lisa zatko volunteer comment 2008-07-23 16:30:17.000 - Lisa Zatko,  Summit Volunteer Sunrise As a new volunteer on the summit I feel that Marty (the new observatory cat) and I have something in common. He and I are eager to explore our new surroundings and are becoming familiar with our home away from home. nnThis week has been exciting because of the newness of the environment. On the outside I've enjoyed the blooming clouds that formed the undercast, the rainbows after a storm, strong winds and hail and the rare open vistas below. I've enjoyed the hikes around the summit and

Another great week on the Rockpile! 2008-07-22 17:21:25.000 - Katherine A. MacDonald,  Summit Volunteer Fellow volunteer Lisa in the Alpine Garden I’m always pleased to be able to help out at the Observatory. The opportunity to help out in the kitchen, etc. is something I look forward to. Meeting the young people that work as observers as well as the interns is an interesting part of coming here. Yes, having the opportunity to hike and take photographs is part of why I enjoy being here. However I learn something new each and every time. The observers are pleased to share

NULL 2008-07-21 15:11:50.000 - Ted Letcher,  Summit Intern NULL Today, the most notable feature atop the rock pile is the wind, or should I say lack there of. That’s right today the wind on top of Mount Washington has consistently been reading less than 5mph. This calm wind is quite a change from a mere few days ago where the summit saw a gust of 88mph and a period of sustained winds over 60mph. Today the calm winds have allowed the clouds to settle and leave the higher summits open to the sunshine in the midst of an otherwise foggy