rain and snow

2008-03-07 23:43:00.000 – Stacey Kawecki,  Observer

Precip anyone?

We had to say goodbye today, not only to the group of charming German students, but also to the fair weather that had graced the summit for a short time. Shortly before the start of my shift, the clouds began to roll (I mean literally roll) in, undulating and crashing over the northern side of the mountain like waves. For the first time this week, it is ten fifteen, and all is quiet on the summit front, but only inside. Outside, Mother Nature is unsettled, to say the least. I am glued to the radar, watching dark greens and yellows, and occasionally spots of red, approach. The south wind roars past the A-frame every time I go outside to do an observation, making it sound like I’m walking into the lion’s den, exaggerating its actual strength. Temperature is balmy, in the upper twenties, and forecasted to continue to rise. The summit should be seeing rain, yup, full on non-frozen rain, in the wee hours of Saturday morning.

Spring, a season that is characterized by thawing ground, growing plants, new life in general. It also is the time for Daylight Savings Time, which has been moved up, to this weekend. What does this mean for the valley: Spring ahead an hour, or in layman’s terms, lose an hour of sleep. The summit does not observe Daylight Savings, but it does affect our shift. Instead of a 5:30 to 5:30 shift, it becomes a 4:30 to 4:30 shift. Suddenly, we all wanted winter to last a little longer, because 4:30 is an awful lot earlier than 5:30! Until next time…stay cool and windy.

Stacey Kawecki,  Observer