Blowing Snow 2008-03-29 21:26:58.000 - Steve Welsh,  IT Observer Marty Resting Yesterday we had over six inches of nice fluffy snow and for once, really calm winds. So the entire summit ended the day completely decked in white. This doesn’t happen very often since most snow that falls here usually blows straight off the summit and down into the surrounding ravines. Today the winds went up to near 100 mph and all the snow above tree line took to the air in one great mass of swirling whiteness. For most of the day we have had very impressive ground blizzards

Correcting a wind gust 2008-03-28 22:13:25.000 - Brian Clark,  Observer My Math 148.5144.7At first glance these are just two dimensionless numbers; two numbers with a difference of 3.8 or about 2.6%. Of course, by now you’re probably curious to know what these numbers mean and where I’m going with this.Well, both are wind gust measurements.The first value of 148.5 miles per hour was measured a week ago on March 21 as the peak wind speed for the day. This wind gust was measured using our Pitot Tube Static Anemometer in conjunction with the Setra pressure transducer. The pitot anemometer is

Surprises and Reflection 2008-03-27 22:00:49.000 - Matthew Morin,  Space Grant Intern Crepuscular rays Last night when I looked at the numerical models, I saw that tomorrow morning’s dew point depressions (the temperature minus the dew point) would be 0 to 3 degrees. This usually indicates that the summit would be in the clouds and I would be left with not much of a view out the observatory windows. However, this morning I awoke to find that the sun was shining brightly and the visibility was around 45 miles. The winds today were light by summit standards, blowing around 30 to

Whats Next? 2008-03-26 23:29:51.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Staff Meteorologist Humans are always seeking what is next. When we were younger, it was trivial stuff like what we would do next before it was time for bed. When we start to go to school, we found ourselves waiting for the next semester to improve or take a new subject. If a year wasn’t going very well, we would think how bad this year was but next year we would rule the school. We graduate and anticipate what is next, college or the real world and we head down that path greeted

Observation in Life 2008-03-25 21:48:49.000 - Mike Finnegan,  IT Observer Silver Lining on North Baldface There’s always something new to see and observe. In the past week, we’ve seen the summit lose a fair bit of its’ snow depth due to rain. Not long after we saw wind reach 123 mph, the highest I had ever seen. This was quickly overshadowed by winds that climbed to 149 mph, sustained in the 120 mph range. We’ve seen cap clouds and clouds just a bit closer to us…we’ll call it fog. Visibility has ranged from 120 feet to 120 miles. Now it’s

Easter 2008-03-23 17:06:11.000 - Stacey Kawecki,  Meteorologist Easter Candy At 8:45 pm EST I walked out the tower door to de-ice and was flabbergasted by what my eyes were telling me. For the first time since arriving on the summit on Wednesday, I was able to see more than a mess of murky white. Not only was I able to see the end of the deck, I also observed the moon, bright as can be, casting shadows like the sun, behind a translucent cap cloud that hovered over the summit for a couple of hours. When you’re enveloped in clouds

Winds 2008-03-22 01:24:04.000 - Stacey Kawecki,  Observer Everyone is glued to the Hays Chart 'How much wind does it take to make a meteorologist happy...just a little MORE!'-Dave McDonald, Edutrip leader, Christa McAuliffe Planetarium.The Windiest Day we've all seen!   Stacey Kawecki,  Observer

Wind 2008-03-20 21:33:29.000 - Ryan Buckley,  Summit Intern NULL Well the winds are picking up as predicted. The wind has already gusted up to 123.4 MPH and the peak of this storm has not yet come to fruition. As we sit inside, eyes fixed to the Hays Chart, I get the feeling tonight is going to be a long one. I set up my sleeping bag in the library so that I can be woken up whenever Stacey needs to be accompanied out into the chaotic abyss located just outside the observatory door. All my gear is laid out in

jealous brian 2008-03-19 20:14:56.000 - Stacey Kawecki,  Observer “I hope you enjoy your week off, Brian”“I hope you have a terrible week.”This was the exchange made between Brian Clark and myself as he was leaving the summit (for it is that fateful day of changing shifts!). Usually partings are bitter-sweet, this one however, may seem flat out bitter. There is a reason for Brian’s unusually mean-spirited farewell. And, no, we did not vote him off the summit. However, there is something exciting brewing in the atmosphere, literally. The low pressure that is pushing a warm front across the region as

My Auto Road Hike 2008-03-18 18:09:14.000 - Matthew Morin,  Space Grant Intern The Auto Road at 4300 feet A lot of people envision the concept of research as sitting in front of a computer for hours feverishly analyzing huge amounts of data. This is a pretty accurate summation of my research project* for the most part. However, there are a few occasions where my research takes on a whole new direction. I was given the task of cataloging the microclimatology of the seven Auto Road Vertical Temperature Profile (ARVTP) sites. Having detailed site descriptions will give researchers a better understanding