Approaching change... 2006-09-19 11:37:19.000 - Jim Salge,  Observer Three layers...haze sandwich! Change is on the horizon this morning…literally. As I look out the western window of the office, I see the approaching cold front, in the form of a wall of clouds. The sight becomes more interesting though, as you examine the gradient from land to sky. While the front approaches, high pressure continues its hold on the region. Underneath this high, stable air remains, and a haze trapping inversion continues between the valley and summit. And the haze is remarkably thick, with visibility reduced to 25 miles. However, the

Summer into fall into winter... 2006-09-18 06:13:51.000 - Jim Salge,  Observer The autumn landscape above the trees... What a gorgeous weekend to be on the summits. In fact, for much of the time, it was definitively nicer on the peaks than in the valleys! Undercast each morning made for grey skies in the valleys, but we were hard pressed to see any clouds in the sky above the summits for the entirety of the weekend. Additionally, temperatures (near record highs) have consistently been warmer on the peaks to start the day than in the valleys, creating an inversion that trapped

Glory and tower... 2006-09-16 15:28:39.000 - Jim Salge,  Observer Tower Glory It has been a simply phenomenal Saturday on the summit, with clear skies above, and a sea of clouds below. Temperatures rocketed up to 61 degrees today, which may not seem too warm, but that puts us a mere 3 degrees from the record for the date. These conditions have not gone unnoticed by droves of hikers who began emerging from the clouds as early as 7AM this morning. And again this morning, in the undercast shone another spectacular brocken spectre and glory, a real treat to see for

What a morning...what a weekend to come! 2006-09-15 07:37:23.000 - Jim Salge,  Observer An alpine autumn landscape... I had to look up an official definition of ‘Indian Summer’ this morning, as it is a word that perhaps could describe this coming weekend. While traditionally the term is used to describe a sudden warm up with clear skies sometime after the first frost, I was unsure if you could actually use the term while it was still in fact…summer. Last week a string of crisp cold nights brought frost to the valleys, as well as icing to the summits, but a

Fixing computer problems... 2006-09-14 07:37:47.000 - Mike Davidson,  Valley Staff Torin’s First Day on the Summit I.T. isn't all data centers and crawl-spaces. Yesterday morning I sat atmy desk in North Conway trying to create a weekly backup plan for our newservers when I came upon a problem. The problem could not be fixedremotely, it required hands-on attention (see Microsoft Knowledge Basearticle 909265). "Consarnit," I was heard to lament, "now I have to visitthe summit of Mount Washington on a clear fall day." I didn't want tosuffer alone, so Leasa, our son Torin, and I drove up the Auto Road

Time Keeps Ticking, into the Future 2006-09-12 04:52:25.000 - Ryan Knapp,  Meteorologist Cool Sunset. 'It’s all about timing.' You may have heard this phrase before whether it’s playing sports, learning how to cook, dancing, or various other activities. The same phrase was used yesterday as we watched the sun set and was in reference to the temperatures we were experiencing. As we stood there bundled in our red LL Bean jackets that we are known for, we discussed how 32F feels so cold this time of year especially when just days ago we had 50’s as a high, short sleeve

Thunderstorm 2006-09-10 09:38:45.000 - Neil Lareau,  Observer Hail Drift Today:A plump and lopsided gibbous moon looms above the western horizon. Clouds rise up and partially obscured the summit from the northeast. The temperature is 27.6 degrees, and the clouds are now depositing tiny feathers of rime ice. My feet stick to the observation deck in an effect not unlike walking across the soda spilled floor of a movie theatre. The shoes, still warm from being inside, melt the ice on the cement surface and then, if you stand still, the water refreezes trying to hold you in place. Yesterday the

Convection 2006-09-09 06:36:26.000 - Neil Lareau,  Observer It was nice up here yesterday. Highs were in the mid 50s and for most of the daylight hours winds only registered in the single digits. Fair weather cumulus occupied about half the sky for most of the day and demonstrated the wonders of convection. Tumbling eddies were obvious embedded within the overall NW-SE drift of each cloud. Over the Rocky Branch ridge a more vigorous updraft formed a quickly growing cumulus mediocris cloud. It looked to have much greater ambitions, trying for the ultimate status of cumulonimbus, but alas the crenellated top

Tim Markle will be missed 2006-09-08 08:29:53.000 - Neil Lareau,  Observer Nin is going to miss Tim Markle’s presence on the summit. So am I. Tim has been a mentor and a friend to me. To Nin he was a master scratcher and cleaner of the litter box. I could detail the tremendous contributions that Tim has made to the observatory in way of professional expertise and more importantly in his presence within this small community, but the list would be to long for this forum. Needless to say Tim has left, as Ken put it two days ago, an

Tim 2006-09-06 08:10:04.000 - Tim Markle,  Chief Meteorologist One Last Sunrise Sitting in the weather room getting ready to take what is likely to be my final observation up here, I could not help but reminisce about what it was like during my first week on the summit back in July of 2003. Looking back upon it all made laugh for, you see, my last observation was almost exactly the same as my first! It was foggy and drizzling, with a light northwesterly breeze. The only difference was that is was three degrees warmer during that July observation. It was