The Science Behind Kelvin Helmholtz Wave Clouds 2015-12-14 09:35:25.000 - Andrew Henry, Summit Intern   While we did not receive any #MWOMetMonday questions this week, one of our Facebook followers posted the following picture of some unusual clouds, wondering what they were.        The clouds Johanna snapped a picture of late yesterday afternoon appear to be Kelvin Helmholtz clouds, also called billows. These clouds resemble breaking ocean waves, with rolling eddies seen at the top of the cloud layer. Kelvin Helmholtz clouds are named after two scientists, Lord Kelvin and Hermann Von Helmholtz, who studied the physics that

Winter on the Summit? 2015-12-12 17:06:51.000 - Michael Dorfman, Weather Observer/IT Specialist   Just like much of the valley, Mount-Washington-style winter has not yet enveloped the summit. Typically, we’re using the snow cat at least partway up the Auto Road at this point, but almost the entire road is bare pavement and easily passible with our chained up truck. It’s not quite as wintry as we’re used to for this time of the year on the summit, but the temperatures and conditions we’re seeing could seem like full-on winter for most people living at sea level. The shoulder seasons typically

Warm Weather Ahead! 2015-12-07 14:57:47.000 - Adam Gill, Summit Intern   It has been warm here in New England so far this December! The question is, will this warmth continue for a little while longer? The answer is yes for at least the next couple of weeks as a typical El Nino weather pattern sets up across the country. The warm waters in the Eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean causes warmer air to reside further north in the pacific than normal. This changes the path of the polar jet stream and the subtropical jet stream causing them to shift further north

Dear Santa 2015-12-04 17:06:46.000 - Ryan Knapp, Weather Observer/Staff Meteorologist   Dear Santa,    Can you believe it has been a year already!? How are things in the North Pole? Hopefully all is well and the elves are putting the final touches on your “Nice List.”   Hopefully we landed on the said “Nice” list once again this year… I like to think that we acted kindly and respectfully to all our interns, guests, friends, families and pet (Marty Kitty). By the way, Marty sends his regards – he’s looking forward to the special treats, litter and food you traditionally bring him.

The Night Shift 2015-12-02 16:50:35.000 - Marty Basch, Windswept Editor   There's a question that never gets old around here. What's it like to live and work up there? Living and working at 6,288 feet certainly has its challenges. The commute's unlike any other in these parts and those at the top see everything from sublime sultry sunsets to sideways rapid-fire hail that can hurt wicked bad. But what about at night? While we're sleeping Observers Ryan Knapp and Tom Padham (and Marty) have the place to themselves, heading out into the darkness for those hourly observations that keep the

How Do Frost Heaves Form? 2015-11-30 18:14:22.000 - Michael Dorfman, Weather Observer/IT Specialist   I’ve heard people ask questions, especially this time of the year, about frost heaves. Seemingly defying the laws of gravity, ice often pushes earth up with impressive force, lifting hundreds of pounds of material and potentially doing serious damage to structures in its path. How does this form? A logical explanation to frost heaves is the expansion of water as it freezes. This would explain why ice is forced upward, however the 10% expansion in volume of frozen water does not account for the impressive distance

What I am Thankful For 2015-11-28 09:08:51.000 - Andrew Henry, Summit Intern   With Thanksgiving earlier this week, I have been thinking what I’m thankful for at the Observatory. The first thing I am thankful for is being selected to intern at Mount Washington Observatory. This internship is a dream come true for extreme weather enthusiasts like myself. Since beginning my internship in August I am thankful for the opportunity to learn about mountain weather through composing specialized forecasts for the higher summits of the White Mountains and helping with weather observations. I am thankful for the wonderful views from

A Happy Thanksgiving On The Summit 2015-11-26 22:17:36.000 - Ryan Knapp, Weather Observer/Staff Meteorologist   Mount Washington Observatory is a manned weather station that operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We work in two crews for eight days at a time, swapping out every Wednesday (typically). This all means that regardless of holidays, one crew will be up here manning operations and observing the weather. This year’s crew, Kaitlyn, Mike D, Andrew, and myself had an enjoyable Thanksgiving. And while it is hard to be away from family and friends for the holidays,

Tech Women | Tech Girls - A Week of STEMspiration! 2015-11-25 18:22:04.000 - Kaitlyn O'Brien, Co-Director of Summit Operations   The NH High Tech Council (NHHTC) Tech Women | Tech Girls launched its first ever Tech Women Ambassadors week-long program, beginning Monday November 16 and concluding Friday November 20. Several workshops took place at various venues, encouraging young women across the state to consider a STEM-based career. I was lucky enough to visit with a great group of 9th grade girls at the White Mountain Community College in Berlin, NH last Friday to share my own experiences about pursuing a

Back at the Summit 2015-11-19 20:22:28.000 - Adam Gill, Summit Intern   Greetings from the summit! After a 10 day off week, it is good to be back up on the mountain. I was a little disappointed at the lack of snow. With how white the summit was looking from the valley I expected there to be quite a bit more but everything is covered in rime ice so it makes for nice scenery. Currently we have gone back into the fog and with the temperature just above freezing, all the water vapor in the fog is condensing to the