of camels and weather

2009-07-14 08:49:23.000 – Stacey Kawecki,  Observer and Meteorologist

nothing gold can stay

Between camels, revenge-seeking cyclists, and an amazing assortment of weather, it has been a very interesting week. Beginning on Wednesday, we were greeted at the base of the Mount Washington Auto Road with a warning: Beware of the camel. Well, upon arriving on the summit, Josh (the camel) was hanging out by Tip Top House, Marty was cautiously curious, and an assortment of Obs and State people were milling about, trying to get a picture.

Josh was pretty much the only surprising element on the summit on Wednesday; the usual (for this summer) fog and drizzle lingered. Once the drizzle ceased, fog continued until Thursday night. To our great surprise, after dinner, our volunteers yelled down that there were fireworks outside! Unfortunately, we were unable to get pictures, but they were over in Maine, probably over Bridgeton. Fireworks have never looked so small, like tiny alpine flowers made of brilliant colors and light peppering the dark valley below.

After some man-made fireworks, the display of color experienced Friday morning was even more remarkable. The moon was still out, pinks and oranges blended into blues and purples and everyone quietly and serenely (maybe due to an overall grogginess) watched one of nature’s most beautiful displays: sunrise. Friday’s weather was phenomenal: warm temperatures, calm winds, bugs, and people, lots and lots of people. The fog eventually came back, but with a twist. Yesterday we spent most of the day in the fog, which lifted and provided us high visibility and views of rain showers all around us. Now it is cold, with temperatures well below normal and a tied low temperature thus far.

The power and beauty of nature never fails to amaze me, especially on this mountain.

Observer’s NoteDon’t forget to join us Wednesday evening at the Weather Discovery Center in North Conway Village at 7PM for the kickoff of Science in theMountains: A Passport to Science 2009. Through videoconferencing technology, we’ll travel to science centers around the world to learn about our environment from the experts in the field! The Weather Discovery Center is located next to Citizens Bank in North Conway. Admission is FREE! Seating is limited, so please arrive early. For more information call (800) 706-0432 ext. 225

Stacey Kawecki,  Observer and Meteorologist