Let it Snow! 2017-12-08 08:04:56.000 - Tom Padham, Weather Observer/Education Specialist   With the first full week of December almost behind us it looks like winter has finally set in across Mount Washington and the White Mountains, and that means plenty of snow on the horizon! Two storm systems are set to affect the area over the next several days, resulting in the first widespread snowfall for much of the Eastern Seaboard. National radar mosaic showing snowfall occurring along the Texas-Mexico border. Image taken with permission from Weathertap.com The first system has already produced a rare snowfall for portions of

My Summit Vices Part 3: TV, Crafts, Home, and the Cat 2017-12-06 07:59:18.000 - Nicole Tallman, Summit Intern   As Mike and Adam have already hinted at, life on the summit is not always beautiful views with bluebird skies. We are quite often socked in the clouds limiting not only visibility but also the time we spend outside. When the weather cooperates it is nice to go for a hike around the summit cone, or sit on one of the many rocks of the Rockpile and take in a stunning sunset. However, there is a high demand for indoor activities

My Summit Vices Part 2: Walks, Plants, and Reddit 2017-12-04 20:54:59.000 - Adam Gill, Weather Observer/IT Specialsit   I have some similar vices up on the summit as Mike like Coffee but since that has already been stated, here are a few that I enjoy in my free time. Walks I will usually wake up an hour before my shift and go for a walk while listening to music. Usually I will do laps around the Rotunda because the sun has not come up yet and usually the weather is not too great outside to go wandering around in the

My Summit Vices, Part 1: Coffee, Tunes, and 'Flix 2017-12-02 14:17:08.000 - Mike Carmon, Senior Meteorologist & Education Specialist   We work hard 12-14 hour days (or nights) while on shift, and although our work is enjoyable and rewarding, it can also be a bit tiring. Just like most of you folks probably do, all of us up here at our summit office/home have those activities that keep us running throughout the sometimes long and foggy weeks. While they may not necessarily be considered vices, we may indulge a little too much in some of these things, which may from

My First Week, Part 4: Not in Pennsylvania Anymore Toto 2017-11-30 22:18:22.000 - Caleb Meute, Weather Observer/Meteorologist   When I abruptly left the summit in 2014, I was unsure if I would ever be able to return to working for the Mount Washington Observatory. The day that I tore my ACL, I went down the Auto Road expecting to come back up top the following shift. Unfortunately, that was unable to happen due to the extreme nature of this job and the liability I would carry being up top in the winter. It was tough, but it made me very

Gearing up for Winter Transportation 2017-11-28 08:14:21.000 - Tom Padham, Weather Observer/Education Specialist   As November turns to December we begin our transition into the heart of the winter season on the summit, which means transportation gains more challenges. For now we’re still able to use a truck with chains and a plow to lead the way up the Mount Washington Auto Road, but as the snow pack continues to build we’ll likely begin using the snowcat in the next few weeks. What is only a 20-30 minute trip from the summer season now can take 3+ hours due to

Dear Santa... 2017-11-26 05:29:02.000 - Ryan Knapp, Weather Observer/Staff Meteorologist   Dear Santa -   Another year has flown by, seems like just yesterday that I was writing you. Hope all is well with you and the missus at the North Pole and the elves are all working hard as they put the final touches on your “Nice List” for this year.   Speaking of the “Nice” list, hopefully we landed on it once again this year… I like to think that we acted kindly and respectfully to all our interns, guests, friends, families and pet (Marty Kitty). By the

Thanksgiving Recap! 2017-11-24 16:40:20.000 - Taylor Regan, Weather Observer   Part of the responsibility of taking a position at a continuously-manned weather station atop a remote mountaintop is the knowledge that you will, at some point, be required to work a major holiday. In all honesty, working as a weather observer on Thanksgiving isn’t so bad: we don’t have to deal with holiday traffic, we don’t have to battle other shoppers in a last minute run to the grocery store, and we get to experience the weather the summit is famous for, often with a few surprised thrown in. No,

My First Week, Part 3: Summer with Just a Dash of Winter 2017-11-20 08:36:21.000 - Nicole Tallman, Summit Intern   Among this series of stories of first weeks on the summit mine will be the most recent. Just this past summer, I began my journey on this mountain that I now call home. Much like Mike, I grew up in central New Jersey. Surrounded by farmland and neighborhoods, the mountains were a foreign environment for me. However, my passion for extreme weather and drive to experience new things lead me to apply for this internship. Fresh out of college and

My First Week, Part 2: Long Drive, Quiet Week 2017-11-17 15:29:15.000 - Adam Gill, Weather Observer/IT Specialist   The first time I have ever really been east of the Mississippi River was coming to New Hampshire for my internship here at the Observatory. I had grown up in Colorado and gone to school in North Dakota but Mount Washington was always something that I paid attention too and was very excited to learn that I was given the opportunity to come out here for a few months and experience the weather first hand! Moving out to New Hampshire happened really