The Night Sky On The Summit, And 'What We Do For Fun' 2018-09-18 05:28:45.000 - Christopher Hohman, Weather Observer/Staff Meteorologist   Hello everyone! What a beautiful week of weather we’ve had here on the summit. That is, if you think clear conditions constitute ‘beautiful conditions.’ Personally I love being in the clouds, with high velocity winds whipping around the summit. Regardless though, we had a lot of sun this week, and subsequently very warm temperatures. We tied and broke daily record highs on two days, which was something we were thinking, might happen during our weekly Wednesday shift changes. Overall

Record Breaking Temperatures 2018-09-17 12:57:41.000 - Zach Butler, Summit Intern   As I typed this, we were breaking a daily record high temperature on Mount Washington! The temperature was 62 degrees, which broke the record for the 15th all the way back to 1939 when they recorded a temperature of 61. What lead up to these warm temperatures the other day and back in 1939? How do the days compare to each other? I went to the weather maps and history books to find out. The weather pattern for New England was a large upper level ridge with a strong

Sunny Skies and Happy Times 2018-09-15 12:26:05.000 - Ian Bailey, Weather Observer/Education Specialist   Transitioning from the summer to the fall has certainly been keeping us busy up here at the summit. And with Shift Leader Adam gone this week on vacation, things have been even busier than usual. But as I promised myself during my internship, I’ve made sure that I am never too busy to stop, look outside and enjoy the weather that is happening around me. And in doing so over the last few days, I’ve seen some pretty beautiful sights. We’ve been under a strong high

Mount Washington: Breaker of Storms 2018-09-08 09:27:36.000 - Sarah Schulte, Museum Attendant           Each season brings with it new meteorological wonders for weather nerds to anticipate, and summer is certainly no exception. While the winters on Mount Washington are great for rime ice events, torrential snowfall and fierce winds, the summer season is a prime time for thunderstorms. Whenever the potential for a nice line of cells crops up in the models, everyone begins to cross their fingers in anticipation for a natural light show… …only to have their shoulders slump in disappointment when the cells sputter and die

Squall vs. Microburst: What's the Difference? 2018-09-07 11:10:13.000 - Thomas Padham, Weather Observer/Education Specialist   Earlier today I received a weather question which I thought would make for a great blog post. What’s the difference between a squall and a microburst? A squall sort of has two meanings, the meteorological definition (which we use for our reporting) and the term used by everyday people. The National Weather Service definition of a squall is: “A strong wind characterized by an increase in wind speed of at least 16 knots and sustained at 22 knots or greater for more than a minute”.

Education Time from you to me to the AMC! 2018-09-02 17:06:16.000 - Zach Butler, Summit Intern   I have always been passionate about the education around meteorology. The science affects people’s lives every day, every hour, and every minute. The importance of educating the public on this science is vital for communities to understand the dangers and aesthetic around meteorology. Every day, we at the Mount Washington Observatory, radio our morning weather conditions and 48hr forecast to the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) huts and shelters. The staff writes and posts are forecasts for themselves and people traveling through to see

Farewell Mount Washington! 2018-08-28 09:51:05.000 - Griffin Mooers, Summit Intern   As my summer internship comes to a close I want to take the opportunity to thank the Mount Washington Observatory a great last few months. Growing up in New Hampshire and obsessed with weather since childhood, it’s long been an aspiration of mine to spend time at the summit with at the observatory. So I was beyond thrilled when I was told this past spring I would get to be a summit intern this summer. The experience has not disappointed. I expected the weather to be interesting, but I

A Heaping Helping of Heat 2018-08-26 12:31:10.000 - Thomas Padham, Weather Observer/Meteorologist   With September just around the corner, I thought I would take a look at the longer range weather models. Personally I’m very much looking forward to the fall season and our first snowflakes, whenever that may be. Unfortunately there’s not much hope for any wintry weather over the start of September. Over the next few days temperatures will climb well into the 80s and 90s°F across the surrounding valleys in advance of a cold front, with temperatures climbing to possibly just shy of daily records in the

My First Few Days on the Summit 2018-08-25 16:34:05.000 - Chloe Boehm, Summit Intern   Hello! My name is Chloe Boehm and I am the new fall intern here on the summit! I am originally from Lexington, Massachusetts but I spent the last 4 years in Maine at Colby College studying Physics and Mathematical Sciences. I am lucky to have grown up hiking and exploring in New England and especially in the White Mountains. Through this I experienced a taste of the wild weather in these mountains, from high winds to snow storms that seem to come out of nowhere.

The Air is Different Up Here 2018-08-23 15:30:21.000 - Eric P. Kelsey, Ph.D., Director of Research   If you have been to the summit of Mount Washington, you likely noticed that the air was different than in the valleys: the temperature was cooler, you may have been in a cloud, and you may have noticed with your eyes and olfactory that the air was more or less hazy and polluted. If you thought that you were in a different air mass than in the valleys, you were probably right. For many decades, we have known that the summit of Mount