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2007-10-06 17:20:05.000 – Kyle Paddleford,  Observer

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During shift change meeting this past Wednesday Ken was stressing the importance of looking ahead and keeping an eye on any weather systems that may complicate transportation to and from the summit. The reason that this is becoming a more important issue is because we are now entering the time of year where our daily average temperatures are right around the freezing mark on the summit, although it is quite hard to believe with all the warm weather as of late. A nice day at the base of the mountain does not always translate into the best conditions while approaching the summit. Before long we will be riding in the snow tractor, and yes, that is a little wishful thinking on my part.

Speaking in terms of normals based on thirty years of climate data from the summit, Tuesday the ninth marks the first day that the daily average temperature dips to the freezing mark. After this the downward trend towards colder average temperatures continues through the winter. I am not saying that as of this coming Tuesday that is where we will be, it is more or less a baseline of what can be expected on a normal day. Believe it or not, the daily temperature averages do not hit the 32 degree mark again until early May which is seven months away. Hopefully we are in for a cold and snowy winter, which is a little more wishful thinking on my part. I’m guessing that some of you do not agree with that last line, but some of you probably do. It will be a wait and see situation at this point. The last two Octobers have seen above average snowfall and precipitation. Can we make a prediction based on those past numbers? Absolutely not, but we have an idea what could happen. The weather is always changing and is very chaotic in nature.

For those of you interested in seeing how this year has compared to the 30 year normals you can view the monthly F-6 form on our website that is updated on a daily basis. The White Mountain Region Forecast that we produce daily also lists the almanac data for the current day.

Kyle Paddleford,  Observer