A Wonderful Week! 2016-06-15 08:33:40.000 - Linda Bliss, Summit Volunteer   My first volunteer experience at the Mount is coming to an end. I have met and enjoyed the company of a bright, friendly and engaging staff who welcomed me into the Observatory family. Ryan, Tom, the two Mikes, Meredith, Chris, Tim and A.J. quickly made me feel at home. Marty, the Observatory cat has become my buddy.  He will often sit under my chair when I am using my computer, or sit still while I scratch his head.       Arline and Tom     Marty the cat   The weather has

A Very Memorable Week! 2016-06-14 15:03:44.000 - Arline Cochrane, Summit Volunteer   Sadly,  another week atop the Rockpile is nearing it's end and I wish to take some time to thank all of the Mount Washington community for all the work that you do whether it's in membership, volunteer coordination, observer, etc. Speaking for myself I am thankful for the knowledge MWO is gaining and so happy that this knowledge is shared with the world.    Enjoying the high winds!   To the crew on my shift, it is uplifting to see a group of people with such good hearts and work

Why is It So Windy, Anyway? 2016-06-13 16:37:59.000 - Tim Greene, Intern                        Mount Washington has already made national headlines a couple times this year on high wind days; this being because hurricane force winds have more or less been the norm for us this spring and so far this early summer.  Normally in June we see an average wind of 27.6 mph, so far we are at 35.2 mph and have seen six days with gusts over 75 mph.  So needless to say, the weather has been pretty intense lately.  This is something I got to see

Orographic Lifting 2016-06-12 17:02:53.000 - Chris Hohman, Intern   My last post I had a large focus on learning new meteorological processes, and overall just getting my feet wet in this wonderful field. One thing I wasn’t expecting though was the real solidification of my knowledge by actually observing all these processes on top the summit. These moments have been very new to me, but I now seek them as frequent as possible. There was a wonderful moment when your knowledge base on a subject takes the leap from something you’ve read, to something you’ve actually seen with your own

Warmer Days Ahead! 2016-06-11 16:06:16.000 - Tom Padham, Weather Observer/Meteorologist   After a few chilly days on the summit with nearly 2 inches of snow, I find myself looking forward to much warmer conditions as we get into the heart of summer. Personally, I enjoy getting out and hiking during the warmer months, and this time of year is especially scenic since the alpine flowers are in bloom. The species of plants that do manage to grow above tree line are extremely hardy, so hopefully the recent snow and ice had little effect. It is amazing to think that most

Five Questions/Answers 2016-06-10 20:01:52.000 - Ryan Knapp, Weather Observer/Staff Meteorologist   As you may have seen (or heard through word of mouth), the summit received a fresh coating of snow, sleet, and ice over the past few days.  As a result, this has spawned a few common questions. So I figured I would address a few of them here:   1. Has it ever snowed in June before? Yes, numerous times. In fact the summit has measured an inch or more of snow for every month of the year. Since starting work here in Dec 2005, I personally have seen

Frozen Cameras 2016-06-09 17:17:46.000 - Meredith Campbell, Summit Intern   Even though it’s already the second week of June, I woke up this morning to a classic winter wonderland. Honestly for the past few years I haven’t been very excited about snow or ice, because I usually have to drive long distances to work or school. Things are different here on the summit of Mount Washington. The ice and the snow and the wind and the cold are absolutely fantastic, and I feel like a kid again wanting to go outside and play. Not only is the extreme weather exciting,

Tropical Storm Colin 2016-06-06 17:03:12.000 - Andrea LaRocca, Summit Intern   As a Florida native, I am no stranger to tropical weather systems every year we get at least 2 or 3 named systems, yet I have never experienced hurricane force winds in the flesh. Over the last 23 years that I have lived in Florida, the only tropical storms that I have encountered have been pitiful tropical depressions with barely gusty winds and heavy rain. They were enough to knock power out for 2 weeks, but that's not saying much as North Florida is not equipped to deal with

How My Fear Of Weather Led Me to the Summit 2016-06-05 15:42:12.000 - Claudia Pukropski, Summit Intern   When I was in 2nd grade my teacher, Ms.Phillips, brought my class to our elementary school library to watch a movie. Usually the films served as some kind of educational purpose, and one week in particular was about severe weather, focusing mostly on tornadoes. I remember watching and never being more scared in my entire eight years of life. Even though I was a South Jersey native, my naïve mind thought tornadoes were a very realistic possibility. Fourteen years later, I still

Turning 30 on the Summit 2016-06-03 13:33:03.000 - Mike Carmon, Weather Observer & Education Specialist   Today, I enter a new chapter of my life, as I turn the big 3-0! If that doesn't get one feeling introspective, nothing will!  In the summer of 2008, I began an internship with the Mount Washington Observatory at its summit weather station. Having never been to the White Mountains, it was an overwhelming but exciting experience for a 22-year-old from the 'burbs of central New Jersey. Nearly 8 years later, here I still am, living and working in one of the most dynamic environments