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2006-11-27 12:38:56.000 – Bryan Farr,  Summit Intern

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The sky cleared this morning to reveal a Spring-like view of the White Mountains. The clouds are low and the air is thick with moisture. The once dry tundra has regained a lot of moisture from the persistent 20 hours of fog that rolled over the mountains. Small patches of white dot the landscape, revealing a once snow capped peak. Gone now are the relative humidities of 1%, the views of the Adirondacks, 135 miles away and the morning inversions resulting in the mountain being the warmest location in all of northern New England.

Change is in the air! It can be seen on the weather maps, it IS coming! This time you will be sure to notice it. It will come in with a roar, and what better place to see and experience rapidly changing weather, than at the Mount Washington Observatory. This change will usher in an arctic front that will pass through New Hampshire this coming weekend. We will see temperatures dropping 25 to 30 degrees, winds shifting to a gusty northwest direction and the first chance of snow to many valley locations!

We are all familiar with the word cold front. Its meaning was derived during World War I, when meteorologists in Europe described how the clashing of a warm air mass and a cold air mass could become a violent battle with wind, thunderstorms and rapid temperature changes along a certain boundary moving across the surface of the Earth. It was analogous to the front lines of the armies fighting in the field and when the two met, a violent battle would erupt as one army tried to overtake the other. We are looking forward to this battle, which will most likely leave the summit a pristine white and allow the staff to once again engage in winter activities both scientific and recreational.

If you are out doing your holiday shopping in North Conway this weekend, make plans to stop in at the Weather Discovery Center, located at the north end of the village. You can come in anytime, and at 11:15 AM and 2:15 PM, talk to us LIVE here at the Observatory and we will share with you the experience of this invading cold arctic air from over a mile above sea level. You will be amazed and we will do our best to convey what a difference just a few thousand feet can do with the weather. If you are shopping with your kids, bring them along, for there are many great displays they can get their hands on and it could help alleviate a long day of shopping. Don’t forget though, that we have numerous weather instruments, gadgets and other items that might just be perfect for someone on your list. And one last word everyone likes to hear this time of year, the visit is FREE!

Bryan Farr,  Summit Intern