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

Summit Yoga 2016-06-02 15:01:45.000 - Emily Schuitema, Summit Intern   On my first morning back on the summit for the week, Ruth, one of our volunteers for the week, came upstairs and invited us to join her outside for some early morning yoga. I’m usually not a huge fan of yoga – I have a really hard time making my mind slow down and relax, and I seem to fall over a lot whenever I try any pose that requires balancing. However, the idea of standing on top of an empty, peaceful mountain in the early morning hours and just

A Lifetime Opportunity Atop the Rockpile 2016-06-01 07:40:15.000 - Maston Gray, Summit Volunteer   As a first time MWOBS Volunteer, I was impressed by the dedicated staff and interns on the shift, always willing to help a volunteer and a wealth of knowledge about all things weather, especially the arctic island of Mt Washington that rises in a local temperate weather zone. The entire team loves nature and weather phenomena, and can converse on any aspect. The interns are impressive also for their meteorological background and expertise. What I learned from volunteering is the Team's passion for weather, causes and

Volunteering on the Summit 2016-05-31 16:57:10.000 - Jill Reynolds, Summit Volunteer   Hello! My name is Jill Reynolds and I am here to tell you about my time volunteering on the summit of Mt. Washington for a week.   I am from a small town called East Aurora, which is located a little south of Buffalo, NY. My family and I have visited the summit every summer since I was little. Our visits would only last between two and three hours, so it was different than actually sleeping over. Saying I was nervous to spend the night here would be

Acclimating 2016-05-30 18:25:24.000 - Meredith Campbell, Summit Intern   My house in southern New Hampshire is 312’ above sea level. At 6,288’ the peak of Mount Washington is 5,976’ above my house. That kind of altitude change definitely takes some getting used to. Acclimating is the act of adapting to a new climate, place, or situation, and being an intern at the MWO has definitely required some acclimating. There is roughly 20% less Oxygen at this altitude, and while illnesses such as acute mountain sickness typically don’t occur below 8,000’, you can still feel the physical effects of the elevation.