Quickie News That Mattered to Me Today

2012-06-20 23:49:30.000 – Ryan Knapp,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist

Thunderstorm with our weather tower, sunset today.

So, rather than focus on any one particular point in this comment, I will call it quickie news of five things that mattered to me today.

1. It was the first day of summer. That also means that the days around this date are the longest days of the year with about 943 available sunshine minutes on the summit of Mount Washington. Working nights up here, I cherish these days because it allows me to actually get to see the sun during my shift. I get to count sunshine minutes. And most importantly, I try to go from an off-white color to more of a cream or egg shell color before I am shrouded in darkness again. But, since today was the first day of summer, little by little from here on, the days will be getting shorter until bottoming out in December once again.

2. It was hot in New England today. If you live in New England, this isn’t news to you as you probably felt it and sweltered in it or are still wallowing in it. NWS reported that several areas set new records or came close to setting them. On the summit, we came close today to setting a new high but fell short around sunset and as a result, we ended up just tying the daily record high for the day with 62F, a record originally set in 1953.

3. Tomorrow will be just as hot if not hotter around New England. In addition, a frontal band will allow for the possibility for some isolated thunderstorms. So, if you are planning on hiking or be on/in/around a watering hole tomorrow, keep an eye to the sky or, if available, your smartphone just in case.

4. Speaking of thunderstorms, we saw one around sunset with the stereotypical mushroom shaped cloud that comes to minds when thinking of them. We were looking forward to seeing it light up with lightning after sunset today, but the fog shrouded our view before that happened.

5. While many of the alpine flowers were less than stellar this year in my opinion (and a few others), the flowers down below are stellar, even if some of them are blooming a bit earlier than usual. In addition, wild strawberries are peaking, and some of the other fruited plants around the northeast are nearing perfection. So, don’t just focus on the summits, some of the most spectacular sights and experiences are the small things found on and around the summits.

Ryan Knapp,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist