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Journal2024-02-26T14:37:21-05:00

Mount Washington Observatory Observer Blog

MWOBS/MWAC Internship & Research Overview 

MWOBS/MWAC Internship & Research Overview By Laura Wilson It feels like only last shift I was writing my intro blog, but here we are, over three months later, and I have no idea how to fit everything into a single blog post. This week alone I finished a full draft of my case study, hiked a section of the Presidential Traverse, lapped the snowfields, said goodbye to Tricia (the other shift’s winter intern) and saw my first ever northern lights. Every week has something new, and I feel incredibly lucky to have spent my winter working on top of

May 29th, 2024|

Overview of Lapse Rate Research

Overview of Lapse Rate Research By Karl Philippoff As a weather observer and research specialist on top of Mount Washington, in addition to my usual observer duties such as taking hourly observations, releasing forecasts, thoroughly checking our daily observations and keeping our weather instruments calibrated and in good working condition, I also look into the data that we collect both on the summit and in other weather stations we have set up around the White Mountains to investigate how the data that we collect is connected to other research projects conducted in other mountainous areas. One of the projects

May 20th, 2024|

Adventure with Kal: Meet Seek the Peak Steward Kally Abrams

Adventure with Kal: Meet Seek the Peak Steward Kally Abrams By Kally Abrams It was mid-July and my calendar was wide open for the next couple of weeks so I looked into events nearby that peaked my interest. As an ambassador for Minus33, I’d seen their post that a few members from Minus33 would be joining an event called “Seek the Peak” in under a week. It was the 23rd year for this event, with the purpose to fundraise for the Mount Washington Observatory to sustain educational and scientific programs. It had all of the elements I enjoy, but

May 15th, 2024|

Deadline Driven: The 12-Hour Shifts that Power Weather Forecasting from the Northeast’s Highest Peak

Deadline Driven: The 12-Hour Shifts that Power Weather Forecasting from the Northeast's Highest Peak By Wendy Almeida  As a new member of the Mount Washington Observatory team, I wanted to gain a deeper understanding of the unique operations of the weather station and the meticulous work of observers to help better explain to our members how our summit team works. Having previously volunteered at the summit to cook for our EduTrips, I was familiar with the general rhythm. But this time, I shadowed an observer for a couple of 12-hour shifts. My goal was to delve into the nuances

May 9th, 2024|

Intern Tricia’s Farewell and Research Recap

Intern Tricia's Farewell and Research Recap By Tricia Hutton Summarizing my time on Mount Washington feels like an enormous task, but I'll try. The team at Mount Washington Observatory welcomed me into their lives only a few months ago, and now I cannot picture my life without this experience, or them in it. The interdisciplinary work on the summit is the most amazing combination for any meteorology/earth science enthusiast. I have gained experience in such a wide range of work that has exponentially launched my knowledge. I have grown as a forecaster with our higher summits forecasts, assisted with

May 6th, 2024|

2024 Total Solar Eclipse: Two Perspectives

2024 Total Solar Eclipse: Two Perspectives By Karl Philippoff and Francis Tarasiewicz Mount Washington, New Hampshire (Francis) I got into meteorology in part, because of how the weather can, even if briefly, bring us humans together as a captive audience to its destructive majesty. From casual conversations about clouds to catastrophic storms, the atmosphere serves as the great equalizer. On Monday April 8th, I realized that forces far outside our planet’s troposphere can fill this same role. For a few short minutes that afternoon the typical buzz of the modern world paused. Millions gathered, gawked, cried, and shared an

April 25th, 2024|

From Mount Washington to Antarctica

From Mount Washington to Antarctica By Charlotte Markey What do Antarctica and the summit of Mount Washington have in common besides weather? Having worked as support staff for both locations, I can tell you there are plenty of commonalities. In fact, volunteering at “the rockpile” helped me land a job in Antarctica! I have been fascinated with Mount Washington ever since I climbed Tuckerman when I was in my early twenties. As years passed, my husband and I took the children to Bartlett to vacation once or twice a year and enjoyed our pilgrimage to Jackson Falls, Pinkham Notch,

April 17th, 2024|

Record Gust, Human Grit: 90 Years of Big Wind

Record Gust, Human Grit: 90 Years of Big Wind By Ellen Estabrook | April 10, 2024 “’Will they believe it?’ Was our first thought. I felt then the full responsibility of that startling measurement…” Salvatore Pagliuca, Weather Observer and electrical engineer, wrote those words in the observer logbook on April 12, 1934, upon noting a record wind velocity on the summit of Mount Washington of 231 miles per hour. This record, confirmed by the National Weather Bureau, still stands as the fastest wind speed ever recorded at a staffed, non-automated station. It is here that we turn our attention

April 10th, 2024|

Excerpt of “Will They Believe It?”

Excerpt of “Will They Believe It?” By Rachel Slade | April 4, 2024 Editor’s Note: This excerpt is from Rachel Slade’s visit to Mount Washington Observatory last April on the 89th anniversary of the famous “highest wind ever recorded.” The entire feature will appear in the September/October 2024 issue of Yankee Magazine. The excerpt appears here with Yankee’s permission. Mount Washington’s famously changeable climate makes the summit an ideal location to study the wonders of our restless atmosphere, and 90 years ago this April, three men stationed there experienced some of the most extreme conditions ever recorded while doing

April 5th, 2024|

Mount Washington Observatory to Host 90th Anniversary Big Wind Day Celebration

Mount Washington Observatory to Host 90th Anniversary Big Wind Day Celebration North Conway, NH – March 23, 2024 – In commemoration of the 90th anniversary of the highest wind speed ever recorded at a staffed weather station, Mount Washington Observatory (MWOBS) will host an array of engaging events before and during Big Wind Day, April 12, with a culminating public celebration at Tuckerman Brewing Company. On April 12, 1934, a world record wind gust of 231 mph was measured by MWOBS’ first weather team of Alex McKenzie, Sal Pagliuca, and Wendell Stephenson. This record, confirmed by the National Weather

March 22nd, 2024|

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