My Summer Internship Recap

By George Mousmoules

It is hard to even begin to describe all that has happened in the last three months during my time at Mt. Washington. Between writing my first Higher Summits forecast, experiencing a microburst, hiking through the gorgeous scenery, watching fireworks from the tower on the 4^th of July, recording a new daily record high, and so much more, it is impossible to pick a favorite moment. Each day brought a different challenge and new opportunities to advance my understanding of both meteorology and life on the summit.

Taking in the Milky Way and shooting stars on a rare clear night. (Photo by Charlie Peachey)

However, I can confidently say that the best part of this amazing internship was the incredible people I met. Observers Charlie, Alex, and Alexis made me feel right at home from my first week and were always there to support me in everything I did. Not only did they help me in my forecasts and research, but they have also been great friends. Our museum attendant Corbin has also been a great companion up here and always has great stories to share. I got to go rock climbing and try yoga out for the first time with them and loved every second of it! I was so glad to have fellow intern Maya alongside me too. We fed off one other’s energy and when things got busy, it was always comforting knowing we had each other’s backs. We got to experience the alpine gardens in peak bloom on our first day here together, and ever since have loved going on hikes and experiencing all the mountains have to offer. And as a bonus I now know someone who lives in Hawaii!

Maya & I taking the obligatory summit sign picture.

I am also excited to have presented my research to the observatory’s science committee and to the public during our Science in the Mountains webinar. I have always had a passion for mountain and winter weather being an avid skier and having grown up watching the television to see if I had a snow day or not. My project combined these topics in focusing on the changing frequency and intensity of late season significant snow and precipitation events in the White Mountains.

There have been multiple studies conducted by other organizations based on both observational data and climate modeling that indicated significant snow events will likely continue at a steady or increasing rate in the Northeastern U.S. This was despite a shortening winter season in the region due to warming temperatures as a result of climate change. This investigation analyzed data from 1995 to 2024, focusing on the period of March 1st to June 30th for each year. Data originated from the daily archives kept at the Mount Washington Observatory and observations collected at the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center. This included daily snowfall, precipitation, and snow depth recorded for each day during the period of study. 90th percentiles were calculated for daily data and separately calculated for three and five-day running averages to capture multi-day events. Code was generated using the coding language Python to run calculations and generate visualizations. I verified multi-day events manually using upper-level and surface charts along with radar data from the National Center for Environmental Information.

I found that significant snow and precipitation events stayed consistent at the summit while snowfall events slowly increased and precipitation events remained the same at the Notch. Event intensity was similar between the summit and the Notch, with the summit observing more outlying events. Significant events typically lasted two to three days and no longer than five days. The fact that significant late season snow events have been occurring at the same rate in the last 30 years despite a gradually shortening winter season is surprising. It aligns with predictions made by climate models and demonstrates that even if less snow is falling throughout the winter, the largest most impactful events are likely to continue to happen. Understanding these trends can increase forecast knowledge and accuracy while better informing the public about these impactful events.

Amount of significant snowfall events since 1995 for the summit.

Amount of significant snowfall events since 1995 for Pinkham Notch.

There have also been a lot of fun events I have gotten to attend. The biggest of these was the Seek the Peak fundraiser, which I was lucky enough to go back down to the base to participate in. Racing against kids to dress in winter gear to “de-ice” the anemometer was a blast and we got the rare opportunity to hang out with the entire observatory staff at once. I also got to cheer on Jacob, one of the other shift’s interns, in the Auto Road bike race which he successfully completed on his first ever attempt! We have had lots of visitors to the summit as well. I got to meet the chief of statistical modeling and a former eastern regional director of the National Weather Service. There were also multiple Emmy nominated broadcast meteorologists along with some aviation and military meteorologists that visited during my time here. Getting to listen to stories and advice from such a wide range of people in the field is something I know I would not have gotten anywhere else.

Nimbus judging my forecast for the day.

After my final shift, I am headed back to school to begin my master’s program studying applied meteorology at Plymouth State University. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to expand my knowledge and abilities as a meteorologist during my time here. This experience has given me both experiences and friends that I will cherish for a long time to come. I will miss Nimbus’ antics, the beautiful office views, and the end of day hikes. My time hear has been a dream come true, and I am looking forward to visiting again soon.