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2010-05-02 12:03:23.000 – Stacey Kawecki,  Observer and Meteorologist

Definitely different from three days ago!

The weather affects everyone. It influences the day’s activities and wardrobe, and even the overall mental state of a person. For those of us on the summit, weather is directly proportional to mental health, though results vary by individual personality. Take yesterday for example. It was a beautiful day, albeit a bit breezy. However, my own mood needed boosting. I attempted to snowboard the east snow fields and failed…miserably. Instead of a mood boost, I got sunburn.

However, upon waking this morning and heading out for the first observation of my day, my mood instantly soared. I am a smell person (not smelly, usually). Scents and odors trigger memories and feelings. The smell of cows and manure actually makes me smile (ok, so maybe smelly sometimes). The smells of mud, burning leaves, snow (it has a smell), and rain all signify the change of a season and inspire warm and fuzzy feelings along with a general state of euphoria.

As I grabbed the sling psychro-meter and stepped out onto the observation deck, the scent in the air hit me like a very soft ton of bricks! The instantaneous jolt I felt through my body was akin to an electrical shock, or lightning. It smelled like a thunderstorm. As you know from yesterday, nothing gets a meteorologist’s blood flowing like a prospective thunderstorm. Logically, there are thunderstorms in the forecast, but that knowledge doesn’t even begin to compare with smelling them. They smell hot, humid, and hazy (h-cubed). It’s glorious!

Stacey Kawecki,  Observer and Meteorologist