Make Way for Summer 2018-05-08 14:58:14.000 - Taylor Regan, Weather Observer   Well, it’s that time of year again, spring! For weeks it was elusive, even as we closed out April as the 7th snowiest on record, with an average temperature 4.9 degrees below normal (9th coldest on record), we had all but written it off. But then, May arrived, and with it temperatures soared well above average, providing a significant melt-out of the snows of April (and of the rest of winter). Slowly, the sedge grasses worked their way free of most of the lingering ice patches, eagerly seeking

When One Door Closes... 2018-05-07 11:34:54.000 - Sarah Schulte, Summit Intern   When One Door Closes… …then, well, you can’t get through that door. You’ve tried, but the lock is bolted, and you don’t know the secret knock, and I think Marty might have stolen the key. Luckily, there happens to be a convenient second door to your right that’ll take you to basically the same place, so what was the point of locking the other - My metaphor is breaking down, and so, coincidentally, is my internship. This is my last week on the summit as a weather observer

What a Week! 2018-05-06 13:25:15.000 - Tom Padham, Weather Observer/Education Specialist   What a week it’s been so far on the summit, with basically all four season’s worth of weather and more! On our way up to the summit last Wednesday we were able to take a photo next to the newly-cleared out wall of snow on the Cragway section of the road. Although we had several big melt outs this winter season, recent heavy snow in April lead to a still impressive 18+ foot wall of snow! Since then warm temperatures and the higher May sun angle have led

Chaos During the Facebook lives 2018-05-02 09:36:05.000 - Adam Gill, Weather Observer/IT Specialist   Being short staffed has not been too big of deal so far since we are in between the summer and winter season so the work load is a bit less. The one thing that is being affected is our Facebook lives that we do on the weekend. If any of you joined us for our Friday Facebook live, you would have noticed that there was a distinct lack of sound. Back when Mike Carmon was on our shift, I did all the behind the scenes controlling

Satellite Imagery 2018-04-28 09:15:46.000 - Jillian Reynolds, Summit Intern   One tool that meteorologists use to forecast is satellite imagery. Satellite imagery is the scanning of the earth by satellite or high-flying aircraft in order to obtain information about it (globalforestlink.com). Different sensors are used by satellites in order to collect electromagnetic radiation reflected from the Earth. Different surfaces and objects can then be identified by how much radiation it reflects. There are three main types of satellite imagery: visible, infrared, and water vapor. Each type has a unique quality that is very useful for meteorologists. Visible Imagery Visible satellite

An Earth Day Poem 2018-04-22 09:26:19.000 - Sarah Schulte, Summit Intern     Our planet is full of so many delights It’s a world that’s unlike any other. For observers, it’s great fun to ride to the heights, To experience all kinds of weather!   Up here, we’re our own brand of crazy, to cheer when the winds gust with might If our record speeds start to look hazy, we’re crowding the Hay’s Chart all night!   There are snow drifts in April that tower and rime ice that feathers the ground You’d best not rule out a stray snow-shower;

An Epic Storm Summary 2018-04-19 06:14:10.000 - Caleb Meute, Weather Observer / Meteorologist   As this past shift elapsed, our eyes turned to an impending storm that looked to bring a mess of wintry precipitation and STRONG winds Saturday through Tuesday. We became especially excited through the weekend as the storm setup looked eerily similar to the storm that brought the summit a 231 mph wind gust in 1934. The only difference was going to be the strength of the high and low pressure systems in play, so we knew that it would not be breaking any records, BUT we

Spring Around the Corner? 2018-04-17 20:08:15.000 - Adam Gill, Weather Observer/IT Specialist   With how cool the weather has been across much of the country, many are looking ahead to see when more spring like conditions will begin.  First, why has much of the eastern United States been seeing such cool weather when we had such warm conditions in February and early March? Well in the overall synoptic flow (Large scale weather patterns larger than 1000km across) there has had consistent blocking high pressure over Greenland, which creates a deep trough (Dip in the jet stream) resulting in cooler than

Big Wind Day 2018-04-12 13:02:11.000 - Taylor Regan, Weather Observer   It’s hard to believe, sitting here amidst the hum of computers, the whir of a humidifier running continuously, and the occasional phone call that 84 years ago to the day, in a one-room wooden cabin chained to the mountaintop where cats outnumbered people, a group of intrepid explorers and scientists experienced, observed, and recorded a humbling wind gust of 231 mph… surviving not only to tell of their experience, but also to verify the accuracy of their measurement. A measurement which stood as the fastest surface wind speed recorded

Vernacular Confusion (The Sequel!) 2018-04-06 10:42:31.000 - Sarah Schulte, Summit Intern   “We’ll never survive!” “Nonsense! You’re only saying that because no one ever has!” Wesley and Buttercup, The Princess Bride It’s time for more Vernacular Confusion! Don’t worry; it’s not going to be as scary as it sounds. Maybe I should have led with a different quote… Vernacular Confusion is where I go over meteorological terms that might be misunderstood or misused. Part 1 of Vernacular Confusion had a definite winter vibe to it, so this time I’m going to go over some warmer terms. It is Spring, after