The view of Pinkham Notch from Mount Washington on May 16 with leaf out visible at sunrise.

Dear Member,

Today, the summer season finally arrives with a clearing and warming trend for the holiday weekend. Our museum staff and volunteers are ready to host the season’s first visitors as the Mount Washington Auto Road and Mount Washington State Park open for daily operations.

Yesterday, our education team welcomed nearly 70 students from Groveton High School (Groveton, NH) for a weather station field trip, thanks to support from the Neil and Louise Tillotson Fund and transportation provided by the Mount Washington Cog Railway. They learned about the observers’ work and climbed the instrument tower to experience the wonder of high alpine weather, with 50 mph winds carrying clouds over the summit.

After battling winter’s final stand (see below), we’re very excited about the many opportunities to reconnect with you and our community this summer. To mention a few, there are weather station tours with Observatory members, field trips with students from across the region, our Annual Meeting on June 24, and our 23rd annual Seek the Peak hike-a-thon.

If you haven’t yet signed up for Seek the Peak, we have a special offer. Register during Memorial Day weekend, and you’ll be automatically entered to win one of 20 locally designed Seek the Peak T-shirts and one of five Cotopaxi backpacks.

While the summit is open, mountain weather is still in transition. Keep a watchful eye on our Current Summit Conditions and Higher Summits Forecast.

Enjoy the weekend, and I hope to see you this summer!

Charlie Buterbaugh

Director of Communications

MAY WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS

Highest Temperature

47 °F 

Lowest Temperature

11 °F

Fastest Wind Speed

121 MPH

Precipitation

8.1 IN

This information is current as of May 27. Complete monthly weather data can be viewed here. 

CONNECT WITH US

Join Us for Great Food that Benefits the Observatory

Flatbread Co. in North Conway, NH will host a special dine-to-donate event on Thurs., June 1 from 4:00 to 9:00 p.m. to benefit Seek the Peak, our largest fundraiser. Enter to win prizes and meet ED Drew Bush, his family, trustees and staff. Flatbread will donate $3.50 for each large and $1.75 for each small pizza sold to support our work.

MWOBS Annual Meeting and Day of Fun at McAuliffe-Shepard

Our Annual Meeting will be held Sat., June 24 at 11:00 a.m. at McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord, NH. All Observatory members are invited to connect with trustees, staff, and other members over lunch, then tour the exhibits. Please RSVP by June 16. Email membership@mountwashington.org or call 603-356-2137, ext. 235.

All Gifts up to $10K Will Be Matched on June 6-7

Thanks to a generous gift from an anonymous donor, all donations to Mount Washington Observatory during NH Gives, on June 6-7, will be matched up to $10,000. Your support will go twice as far, directly supporting our weather station operations, research, and innovative educational programs. Save the date!

WINTER’S FINAL STAND

The Story Behind a Tumultuous Transition to Spring

In his new Observer Comment, Weather Observer & Education Specialist Francis Tarasiewicz explores the science and story behind the violent late-season storm on April 30 to May 1. “Storms like this one, while challenging and at times frustrating, are the reason we are up here,” he writes. Read blog post.

Cog Railway Helps with Shift Change as Summit Partners Confront Late-Season Storm

Thanks to the Mount Washington Cog Railway, our weather observers rode to the summit by train on May 3 for their weekly shift change as the Mount Washington Auto Road worked to repair damage caused by flash rain/snow on May 1. The Cog Railway engineer had to push through 11.5 inches of newly fallen snow, using a giant snow blower attached to the engine. We appreciate all of our summit partners for helping us overcome extremes and prevent interruptions in continuous weather observations. The following week, our shift change returned to its normal route thanks to the Auto Road’s drive to finish repairs.

Thank you for reading this newsletter. Please send any feedback via email. Mount Washington Observatory is a nonprofit research and educational institution. Our work in mountain meteorology and climate science relies on your financial support. Consider advancing our mission with a donation today.

Thank you to our sponsors…