Wrapping Up A Season 2016-07-02 16:02:21.000 - Mike Carmon, Weather Observer & Education Specialist   Another month has come and gone rather quickly on Mount Washington, and June 2016 certainly did not disappoint with its weather. At the conclusion of every month, a thorough check of all forms and data from the past month is required before the month can be officially deemed, well, "official."   In addition, the conclusion of June wraps up a season on Mount Washington, as we consider July – June one complete season (the purpose of which is to contain a single winter in one

Detecting Lightning on the Summit 2016-06-30 20:42:33.000 - Adam Gill, Weather Observer/IT Specialist   Over the past few days we have had thunderstorms that have passed over or near the summit. Lightning is a very real danger above tree line; due to how exposed you are, you increase the possibility of getting struck. At the Observatory, lightning is one of the only reasons that we will not go outside to do an hourly observation. So, we have to know if there is going to be lightning soon. This past week, we installed our Electric Field Meter (EFM) in an effort

The Hazards of Thunderstorms 2016-06-28 12:11:45.000 - Tim Greene, Intern               As most know, the summit of Mount Washington is in the clouds with visibility limited to several hundred feet at best most of the time; today is no different. After spending the morning in and out of the clouds, it looks like we’re destined to return into the fog later this afternoon. Unlike most days though, today the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has placed us under a marginal threat for severe weather, and less than fifty miles from the border of the slight threat

Capturing the Night Sky 2016-06-27 17:44:04.000 - Meredith Campbell, Summit Intern     Reaching for the stars   One of the most unique things about interning at the Mount Washington Observatory is the fact that we are on the summit at night. As a total space nerd, the number of stars you can see from the summit on a clear night takes my breath away. This time of year also happens to be the best time to see the Milky Way (just like the constellations, the view of the Milky Way changes seasonally). For the past few months I’ve been

Alpine Zone 2016-06-26 17:07:10.000 - Christopher Hohman, Intern   One common question hikers have when summiting a mountain is, “Hey why are all these plants so different up here compared to the base?” It’s a very interesting and fascinating question when you start to really think about all the strange vegetation at the summits. This normally begins to happen around what is called the “Treeline.” This is the line where tree growth severely drops, so dramatically to the point where there is almost no tree growth shortly after reaching that line. One of the trees that do survive are called

Summertime on the Summit 2016-06-25 21:27:35.000 - Michael Dorfman, Weather Observer/IT Specialist   It’s beginning to feel more and more like summer on Mount Washington! The bugs are in full-swing, hikers and tourists are mingling together on the deck, the sun is high and warm, and winds are generally calm! Even another sign of summertime - I spent much of the day preparing and installing the Observatory’s Electric Field Meter, a sensor that determines the electric field and therefore the potential for lightning on the summit. While the Observatory sees over 100 mile per hour winds (typically in the wintertime),

Internships 2016-06-24 18:21:00.000 - Ryan Knapp, Weather Observer/Staff Meteorologist   I remember my internship at the Mount Washington Observatory like it was yesterday, even though it was actually over a decade ago. I was 3000+ miles from home and way out of my comfort zone but excited to further my experiences in meteorology. At the time, the internship was supposed to be a few months so I was commuting back and forth from California to continue working at my old job during my days off. One week would be spent in several layers of winter gear, shoveling snow, battling winds,

The Good Weather Shift 2016-06-22 17:34:43.000 - Caleb Meute, Weather Observer/Meteorologist    Since I returned to the summit as a weather observer, I have been experiencing some awesome weather. With that said, I am a little jealous of the opposing shift. I will explain by breaking down the peak daily winds that we have experienced on my last two shifts and compare them to the opposing shifts previous two. Other shift (5/25 – 6/1): 67mph / 73mph / 55mph / 49mph / 47mph / 63mph / 76mph / 38mph My shift (6/1 – 6/8): 38mph / 50mph / 50mph /

When the Weather is Warm on the Summit 2016-06-20 18:22:56.000 - Emily Schuitema, Summit Intern   After watching the snow and 100+ mph winds that the last shift experienced on the summit, I came up for a new work week eager to experience similar conditions. However, when we arrived and started to forecast, I quickly realized that the snow and ice I had been hoping for were not a possibility. Temperatures have climbed all the way into the 60's, and each day has been in the clear with plenty of sunshine. The sunsets have been beautiful, and we've been able

Is Winter Finally Over? 2016-06-18 18:58:51.000 - Adam Gill, Weather Observer/IT Specialist   With the warm weather over the summit this weekend and into the early week, I wonder if we are finally going to be in a summer weather pattern. Looking ahead at this upcoming week, it will start off really warm on Monday with temperatures likely getting to near the daily record high for June 20th of 62 degrees. On Tuesday, a strong cold front looks to pass through the White Mountains with much cooler temperatures. It won’t be too cold for the summit with temperatures only falling