Meteorological Summer 2023 By The Numbers By Ryan Knapp, Weather Observer/Staff Meteorologist Looking at our calendar, we are only days away from autumn which will land on Saturday, 23 September 2023. This date refers to the astronomical autumn season, which is based on Earth’s tilt on its axis as it is orbiting around the sun. Therefore, the seasons of autumn and spring would land on the equinoxes (when day and night are roughly of equal length) and summer and winter would land on solstices (when day/night are of their greatest lengths, longest day in summer, longest night in winter).

Views from the Top: Summer Intern Signing Off This summer, I had an incredible opportunity to intern at Mount Washington Observatory. I learned a lot in the process. Being from Prince George’s County, MD, just 20 minutes from D.C., I wasn't very familiar with New Hampshire or the mountains before coming to the summit. Through the course of my internship, I was able to view the beautiful higher summits, all while learning a ton of meteorological knowledge.During my undergraduate years at the Pennsylvania State University, I had never taken a forecasting course. However, this summer I worked alongside Jay Broccolo

El Niño and Its Influences on Weather Francis Tarasiewicz, Weather Observer & Education Specialist As we enter the fall season, it's clear that 2023 has been a year filled with meteorological buzzwords. Phrases like "polar vortex," "heat dome," and "bomb cyclones" have inundated the public with an overwhelming amount of weather terminology. One particular term that has gained prominence this year is "El Niño." Although technically more of a climate phenomenon, "El Niño" has become a familiar figure in meteorology, akin to that eccentric uncle everyone knows. Whether you're a high-ranking expert at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

A Look at Record Precipitation in July and the Upcoming Seasonal Outlook With cold temperatures on the higher summits at the end of July, many people were surprised to see the change in conditions so early in the year. Statistically speaking, however, cooler temperatures to welcome the month of August are not atypical. According to our climate record, in August, average daily temperatures begin their downward tendency for the rest of the calendar year. August also marks the last month of meteorological summer, which may be disappointing to some considering this season has been characterized by excessive rainfall, high humidity,

Excessive Rainfall over Vermont Among the more remarkable events to occur in New England during the last few weeks are the incredible amounts of rainfall centered over Vermont between July 9 and 10. This event had a clear signature that was evident several days in advance and was overall handled well by both models and forecasters in the areas that ultimately experienced the highest precipitation totals and remarkable flooding, which resulted from all that rain falling on soils already saturated from weeks of well-above average rainfall across nearly the entirety of the state. The very wet antecedent conditions combined

Observatory Expands Education Team Jackie Bellefontaine, left, and Emily Veh recently joined our education team. This summer, Mount Washington Observatory welcomed Jackie Bellefontaine and Emily Veh to the education team led by the Director of Education Brian Fitzgerald. Bellefontaine is the Observatory’s School Programs Coordinator, and Veh joins the organization through AmeriCorps as the School Programs Educator. Bellefontaine, a former MWOBS weather observer, is excited to be part of the team once again. She is a Boston native with a B.S. in Earth Sciences from the University of Maine. During her undergraduate studies, she was given the opportunity to

Jack Middleton and Guy Gosselin Each Receive Founders Award at Annual Meeting Mount Washington Observatory Trustee Gary MacDonald, left, congratulates Life Trustee and Founders Award recipient Jack Middleton in front of the Observatory "Shaky Shack" at McAuliffe Shepard Discovery Center. When Mount Washington Observatory (MWOBS) members, trustees, and staff gathered in Concord, NH recently at the McAuliffe Shepard Discovery Center for MWOBS' Annual Meeting, two longtime members and life trustees were recognized for their decades of service. The recipients of the organization’s first-ever Founders Award are Jack Middleton of Freedom, NH and Guy Gosselin of Gorham, NH. The Founders

As Summer Heats Up, Stay Cool, Stay Hydrated, Stay Informed! While Mt Washington and the White Mountains might be better known for cold weather risks like hypothermia and frostbite, the summer comes with its own risks related to heat illness. Heat-related illnesses commonly occur when the body produces more heat than the environment can allow the body to lose. While northern New England this summer has not been experiencing the triple-digit heat that the American south has been experiencing, we have experienced a few days with warmth and many days with high humidity in the mix this summer. When

Weather's Influence on Wildfire Smoke in early June Wildfires, smoke, and poor air quality have primarily been reserved for the West Coast. We’ve all seen the horrific videos from California’s destructive wildfires, but until recently these fires seemed like a distant threat. Then large portions of Quebec’s boreal forests began to burn. Millions across the eastern seaboard woke up on the morning of June 8 to a sunrise shrouded in smoke, and in New York City, hazardous air-quality captured national attention. EarthCam view of smoke in New York City on the afternoon of June 8th Out of sheer luck,