Life on Top of New England

By Anna Trujillo

Hi everyone! My name is Anna Trujillo and I am one of the interns for the MWOBS winter season. I am super excited for the opportunity to spend these next few months at the Observatory!

While I am originally from Massachusetts, my family moved from the East Coast to Boulder, Colorado when I was small. Growing up on the front range meant a childhood spent outdoors, as well as many fieldtrips to national institutes of climate and weather such as NOAA and NCAR. Both of these influences led me to a passion for earth science and meteorology early on in life. Staying true to that passion, I attended the University of Colorado Boulder and graduated in May of 2025 with a degree in atmospheric and oceanic sciences.

During my undergraduate degree, I was lucky enough to spend a semester in Iceland for an academic and research program centered on Arctic climate change. Between seeing the aftermath of avalanches, experiencing hurricane force wind gusts, and watching a volcano spew magma, this experience was an introduction to the extremes of our planet. It was the highlight of my academic degree, and my hopes for a similar learning experience is what led me to Mount Washington and the World’s Worst Weather!

The tower on a clear day.

During my first week here, I have gotten to experience so much of what Mount Washington has to offer. From 129 mph wind gusts to rime ice formations, the weather hasn’t disappointed. I got to submit my first ever radio forecast, and have learned so much already from the amazing staff here. Of course, I have spent plenty of time making sure Nimbus has gotten lots of pets, and I also got to see an amazing sunset and the beautiful morning alpine glow.

Sunrise Alpine Glow (left) and sunset (right) from the weather room.

Apart from forecasting, radio calls, daily summit operations and playing outside, I am also working on developing an exciting intern project. I’m hoping to create an index that can accurately portray how favorable any day’s conditions are for backcountry skiing, and to apply that index over a past period to see how optimal skiing conditions are changing in the White Mountains. For an area that sports iconic backcountry locations like Tuckerman’s Ravine, understanding how conditions related to skiing are changing, especially without the help of resort tactics like snowmaking, is highly relevant. I am looking forward to making progress with this project during my time here, contributing to the research efforts of the observatory, and learning from the many experiences life at Mount Washington has to offer!