What is a Front? 2017-04-04 15:34:32.000 - Taylor Regan, Weather Observer   Large masses of air are continuously moving about on the surface of the Earth, driven largely by winds aloft, a horizontal pressure gradient, and the Coriolis Effect. The figure below depicts the various major air masses around the globe. The naming convention is as follows. The first letter (m or c) describes the moisture properties of the air mass, and indicates whether the air mass originated over water (maritime and moist) or land (continental and dry). The second letter indicates the thermal characteristics of where the air mass

Say it ain't snow! 2017-04-03 15:23:44.000 - Tom Padham, Weather Observer/Meteorologist   Confidence is growing that yet another significant winter storm (in April) will be taking place as early as tomorrow morning across the White Mountains. Low pressure spawning a severe thunderstorm outbreak over the Southeast today will track through the Great Lakes, with a secondary low pressure developing along the southern New England coast. Warmer air and plentiful moisture will be pushing into New England tomorrow, with cold air damming occurring along the east side of the White Mountains. With enough deep cold air in place, it is now

Hide-and-Go-Seek the Peak 2017-04-01 05:56:27.000 - Ryan Knapp, Weather Observer/Staff Meteorologist   This weekend (April 1st/2nd) we will be hosting the 1st annual Hide-and-Go-Seek the Peak event. Starting at 8pm on April 1st, four Observatory staff members labeled as “It” will count down from 43,200. During this time, the handful of participants that signed up earlier this year will scurry out and hide on a peak somewhere within the 750,852 acres that make up the White Mountain National Forest. When those designated as “It” arrive at zero on April 2nd, they will, as loud as possible, yell out from the

April Fool's Day Snow 2017-03-31 16:58:16.000 - Nathan Flinchbaugh, Summit Intern   The calendar says spring but Mother Nature doesn’t necessarily follow schedules, especially in New England. Just in time for April Fool’s Day, another snow storm stands to blanket parts of the Northeast with fresh snow. As of mid-afternoon Friday, the first bands of snow had already made it to Southern New Hampshire, with a few inches already accumulating in the southwest part of the state. Here on the Mount Washington, flakes began to fly just after noon, and fog is in the process of trying to retake the

It's All About The Clouds 2017-03-29 21:39:38.000 - Bill Ofsiany and Bruce Althen, Summit Volunteers   When most people think of a “perfect” day on Mount Washington, they probably think of a bluebird day, with clear blue skies and a visibility of 130 miles. Those days are rare and may not necessarily be the most visually appealing days to be here, at least in my opinion. It is the clouds, above and sometimes below, that give the mountain its character. For instance, the saucer shaped lenticular clouds tell even the non-meteorologists that turbulent winds are blowing.     A sunrise

Glaze Ice vs. Rime Ice on the Summit 2017-03-28 22:06:31.000 - Caleb Meute, Weather Observer/ Meteorologist   Another system is winding down atop the Rockpile and temperatures are beginning to fall in its wake. As of my last observation, the temperature was sitting just above freezing, but that will soon change as a cold front charges into New England. An unimpressive snow pack over the summit has dwindled to an average of 5 inches thanks to 24 hours with the mercury sitting above freezing. Before temperatures rose above the freezing mark, several hours elapsed with the mercury hovering just below

Spring across the Higher Summits 2017-03-26 17:30:59.000 - Adam Gill, Weather Observer/IT Specialist   Spring at high elevations will always come at a later time than in the valleys. The summit of Mount Washington will still have snow on it after many of the plants in the valley have started to green up. There are several factors as to why that is! First of all, being at a higher elevation, the temperature in the atmosphere cools with height. This is known as a lapse rate and the average lapse rate is 6.5°C per kilometer or about 3.5°F per 1,000 feet,

The Trip of a Lifetime 2017-03-24 15:48:40.000 - Mike Carmon, Senior Weather Observer & Education Specialist   Have you been contemplating a visit to the top of the Northeast's highest peak amidst its most exciting season? If the thought's been in the back of your mind, but you haven't (for one reason or another) jumped on the opportunity, there is one last shot for the winter of 2016-2017! A few spots have just opened up on two trips scheduled to embark to Mount Washington’s summit via Mount Washington Observatory’s Snow Cat next week. The first opportunity is on Thursday, March

Another Record Low Coming? 2017-03-21 12:59:12.000 - Nathan Flinchbaugh, Summit Intern   If you’ve been in the Northeast this month, you don’t need a meteorologist to tell you it’s been cold. It almost seems as if February and March have traded their weather to one another. The summit of Mount Washington has been no exception. Even though March is still very much a wintry time, with 45 inches of snow falling on average, the summit staff is continuing to keep tabs on a March not seen for a long time. Despite the fact that we still have over a week

Welcome Spring! 2017-03-20 09:21:00.000 - Taylor Regan, Weather Observer   Today, March 20th, is a glorious day. Let me tell you why. It is the first day of spring! Or, to be more specific, it is the Vernal Equinox, and generally regarded as the first day of spring by most (meteorologists excluded). The March Equinox heralds spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and fall in the Southern Hemisphere, and is the point where day and night are just about equal in most time zones around the world. The Equinox is celebrated at the same time across the globe, regardless of time