NULL 2007-10-06 17:20:05.000 - Kyle Paddleford,  Observer NULL During shift change meeting this past Wednesday Ken was stressing the importance of looking ahead and keeping an eye on any weather systems that may complicate transportation to and from the summit. The reason that this is becoming a more important issue is because we are now entering the time of year where our daily average temperatures are right around the freezing mark on the summit, although it is quite hard to believe with all the warm weather as of late. A nice day at the base of the mountain does not

Night Sky 2007-10-05 22:59:22.000 - Zach Allen,  Meteorologist NULL Before starting my stint here at the observatory, I was not much of a night person. After a few months of staying up late to provide the forecast it has been quite an adjustment being a night observer. Over the past four months I have recognized patterns in the night sky, for example when the moon will rise. Each night the moon rises later or sooner as the phase changes. The clear nights have been quite rewarding. Endless amounts of stars appear as my eyes adjust to the darkness. The belt

Thoughts on the past 2007-10-04 17:08:00.000 - Stacey Kawecki,  Observer Fall Foliage I was able to code “SKC” for my very first time today. That means that during one of my hourly observations, I observed not a single cloud in the sky. I am beginning my third month up on the summit, that might give you an idea of how rarely this actually occurs. With clear skies, and visibility at about 75 miles, all of us are provided with a fantastic view of the valleys and the fall foliage. Last week, I began to read a book, Mount Washington Reoccupied,

A weeks Experience. 2007-10-02 15:34:25.000 - Frank Link & Al Sukowaski,  Summit Volunteers NULL As first time volunteers on Mount Washington we weren"t sure what to expect other than that we had hoped that being later in September there would be a chance to see some of that infamous Mt. Washington weather and winds.As volunteers we're here to help the WMO staff, our main job is is to make sure that the staff has a good dinner every night and that the living quarters are maintained. It was fun cooking for them- hopefully they enjoyed our meals. But what ever

Monday 2007-10-01 17:44:40.000 - Aubrie Pace,  Summit Intern Observers Unite! Monday morning began with 2 absentees. First Sharon, our Museum Attendant, was not feeling well and decided to go down the mountain. Then Stacey, our Educational Observer, changed shifts and today was her last day with us. One position on our decreasing roster was filled though, by Bill, the Observatory’s Retail Manager who will join us until Sharon is hopefully well on Wednesday. Nonetheless, things felt a little different throughout the course of the day. Brian was alone while Peter and I worked the museum. Many songs went unsung by

breaking out of the clouds 2007-09-30 20:48:15.000 - Peter Sciola,  Summit Intern Sunset Finally, we broke out of the fog last night to a bright waning moon and a partial undercast. Needless to say I was excited because perhaps, just maybe, we would be able to witness the tree colors popping all throughout the mountain range for the first time since my shift started on Wednesday. Oh, and the parents are going to stop by. And what a gorgeous day it was. All throughout the valleys and slopes, reds, oranges and yellows were popping in unison as temperatures had dropped

Thoughts on learning 2007-09-29 16:02:20.000 - Stacey Kawecki,  Observer Books Today the summit was proud to host Richard Hendrickson for his first visit to the top of Mount Washington. This man has been forecasting for as long as the observatory has been operational, 75 years. He is a walking climate record for his hometown in Long Island. He and his family very generously provided the Observatory with two books, written, and signed, by Mr. Hendrickson himself. These books are a fascinating history of folklore, farming, and weather in the “Fish Tail” of Long Island, complete with photographs from before WWI,

The Weather Channel Visits 2007-09-27 17:01:06.000 - Brian Clark,  Observer The Weather Channle crew on our webcam The Weather Channel paid us a visit today. Their crew was supposed to come up last night and stay overnight, unfortunately it didn’t end up fitting into their schedule. So, instead most of their crew rode up the Cog Railway late this morning and was around for a couple hours.They shot various outdoor and indoor footage, as well as a question and answer interview with myself and Stacey. It was a lot of fun to do the interview and was definitely a new

Boats vs hiking 2007-09-27 04:38:59.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Staff Meteorologist NULL When I headed out onto the water of the Gulf of Mexico this past week off the summit, I was paying a keen eye to the weather models and reports. As I drifted on the waters two hours off shore, I came to the realization that I was depending on a forecast produced by someone else, much like most hikers depend on our forecast when they head up to the higher terrain of the summits. So how did I read their forecasts? I started with a weather synopsis, or

NULL 2007-09-24 15:18:04.000 - Alan & Barbara Macgregor,  Summit Volunteers NULL We have been volunteering at the MWO for the past week. They say that Mt. Washington has the worst weather in the world. At the beginning of our shift however, such was not the case. Mild temperatures, clear skies, and calm winds prevailed. The sunrises and sunsets were spectacular. A grand contrast took place Sat. night into Sunday, when temps. dropped into the 40's, wind chill became 20's, and wind speeds increased to near 80 mph. High winds, but beautiful clear days have continued. Many other contrasts have taken