NULL

2006-03-16 20:52:43.000 – Jim Salge,  Observer

The weather has certainly been extreme here the past two days, but it gets marks off for consistency. It hasn’t even been gusty, with sustained winds around 70mph, we weren’t even seeing gusts to 80mph…rather strange with winds that high. Blowing snow has been another constant, blasting us the minute we emerged from the tower. But other than the extreme weather, there’s nothing really to note weather wise.

As an organization however, there is a lot going on at the Mount Washington Observatory. A new sense of urgency surrounds spring preparations, as the State Park’s building opening could be as little as 7 weeks away. The Research Infrastructure Upgrade is progressing rapidly as well, with new devices coming online just about every day now at the summit. And perhaps most of note is that the snowcat trips to the summit have been rather full of recent.

All but one of the researchers from the University of Bochum have left, after performing some fantastic experiments. Edutrips continue, a trip led by AMC cartographer Larry Garland is up for the evening tonight. Intern candidates for the summer have begun to come up to interview, and our summer staff will be set in the coming weeks. And earlier this week, we even had a visit from NH Congressional Candidate Gary Dodds, up on the mountain for undoubtedly his highest campaign stump.

There are still plenty of ways for you to share in the winter Observatory experience as well. A few spots remain on the remaining Edutrips, and the internship application deadline for summer extends until the 20th. Perhaps the most accessible way to see the rockpile though is at the Mount Washington Center in North Conway. The museum is open weekends thanks to a sponsorship from Profile Subaru, and you can catch live interactive broadcasts from the summit twice daily at 11AM and 2PM.

Jim Salge,  Observer