Sturgeon Moon 2006-08-11 15:20:39.000 - Kristin Odell,  Summit Intern This past Wednesday we had the opportunity to catch a wonderful display from the full lunar cycle known as the Sturgeon Moon. It was so beautiful I felt it appropriate to capture the experience in poem form. So here it goes…An announcement came down that the sky was ablaze. And with that, we were up to give it a gaze. What a show from below through the clear night sky. A flash of a lake instantly catches my eye. What can that be, such a wondrous site? Twas the moonlights reflection

Last night 2006-08-08 08:42:39.000 - Christy Schultz,  Summit Intern The crew watching lightning from the weather room. To many people summer means ice cream stands and heading to the beach, but for me, meteorologists, and weather enthusiasts, summer means thunderstorms! Every year I anxiously await the cold frontal passages that yield strong lines of storms and produce frequent lightning and heavy rain. Last night, we got to experience that exact scenario. After closely watching the weather all day yesterday and speculating if we would be hit by a thunderstorm, around 8:30 last night a storm popped up right over us.

Clear views from the Alpine Garden 2006-08-07 08:13:39.000 - Jim Salge,  Observer Distant views from the garden... The weather doesn’t get much better on Mount Washington than it was this past weekend. Cool temperatures, light winds and INCREDIBLE visibility, and perhaps even a few hints of fall ( as Tim alluded to yesterday) all combined for a fantastic and busy weekend. The museum had its best weekend of the summer, and the interns and observers gave tours of the weather room to Observatory members and guests just about every hour that the building was open.Over the last few years, I’ve

Signs of Autumn 2006-08-06 07:13:20.000 - Tim Markle,  Chief Observer The Summit from Mt. Clay One of the more important tools we use up here to help us in preparing the higher summits forecast is something called MOS, or Model Output Statistics. It is a numerical forecasting tool that uses a blend of computer models and climatology to determine what the weather may be up here for any given day. Of late, the MOS products have shown strings of unseasonably mild and humid air, even for the summit. In fact, the possible obscuration section of these numerical models have indicated

Suprise sunshine... 2006-08-04 09:19:50.000 - Dan Huber,  Chief Purveyor Of Adjectives Last rays on the deck... Mount Washington weather had another surprise in store for us yesterday. The station had been mired in a fog with a chowder-like consistency since the crew arrived on Wednesday. Visibility had been measured in feet with high winds and drizzle. We had just finished a discussion late yesterday afternoon on how confident we were that we would remain in the fog until the next day, much to the dismay of our Summer Seminar guests. However, moments later, the sun began to burn through the

A windy respite from the heat! 2006-08-03 07:50:42.000 - Jim Salge,  Observer Leaning against the winds... Beach towels were major items of absolute necessity all over New England yesterday, as an intense heat wave put most of the Granite State into the 90s, forcing people to congregate at the lakes, rivers and beaches! Before ascending the mountain for shift change yesterday, I stopped by one of my favorite swimming holes, and already found people cooling off at 7AM! It was hot…Fortunately, Mount Washington is a traditional respite from the heat, as the all time high temperature is only 72 degrees

early morning blaze 2006-08-01 17:19:37.000 - Kristin Odell,  Summit Intern early morning blaze As my bunk mate climbed back into his rack, the 3-tiered bunk we were sleeping in began to shake. I groggily turned over to read the time on my cell phone; 4:45 a.m. came into focus. In my sleepy state, I remembered a few weeks back a similar situation. I had woken around 5 a.m. and had briefly thought to myself, “Should I really get up and see if I can catch a nice sunrise?” The thought was brief; within five seconds the Sandman had victory and

2006-07-31 02:34:56.000 - Ken Rancourt,  Observer What a day! Being the Night Observer once and a while changes your perspective. After a long shift on Saturday night in the fog, I went to bed feeling tired and damp as all of my observations were done in dense fog that limited visibility to less than 75 feet for most of the night.Tim started his shift in the fog too - but he also saw some very quick changes shortly after he started work: within a period of literally 5 minutes the summit went from dense fog enshrouding us to perfectly clear

A Change in the Weather 2006-07-29 07:16:23.000 - Rick Comeau,  Teacher Extern The Northeast is experiencing a heat wave coupled with oppressive dew point levels. The combined effects on humans, animals and air quality are numerous. What comes to my mind is the cold drink errantly placed on a fine wooden table top, and the water ring that forms as the moist air quickly condenses on the surface of your favorite "cold one." What also comes to mind are the folks with a taste for the finer things who might enjoy leather car seats or leather furniture. These weather conditions

A Dreary Day 2006-07-28 05:29:23.000 - Tim Markle,  Chief Observer It appears that the overall weather pattern has now been repeatedly stuck at giving the region a few days of heat and humidity, followed by a day of more comfortable conditions. This shift up here has been no exception. The mornings have been foggy and mild, giving the summit that rare humid feeling. By afternoon the clouds lift, but only to reveal hazy skies. Yesterday the limit of our visibility was Mt. Madison. Even when the clouds do lift and the sun appears, it only helps to aid in the