Supporter Spotlight: AJ Mastrangelo 

By Wendy Almeida

A young AJ on the summit with Rebecca Scholand.

AJ Mastrangelo’s relationship with Mount Washington Observatory began long before his internship—or his current career as a meteorologist. It started with a childhood visit to the summit.

“My family had a seasonal place on Squam Lake in Holderness,” he recalls. “We’d always make trips up to Bretton Woods and that area, so I knew of the Observatory since I was a kid. I think I was about eight or nine years old when we drove up the Auto Road and took a full tour of the Observatory. Rebecca Scholand gave us the tour—I still have pictures from that day.”

Always interested in the weather and meteorology, that early visit to the Observatory stuck with AJ. Years later, as a high school junior, he returned to the Observatory for a two-week program with Director of Education, Brian Fitzgerald. “It was only two weeks to work on a small project as a high school student, but it gave me a better understanding of the Observatory’s work. That’s when I decided I’d love to intern here since I was going off to college to be a meteorology student.” He did just that in the summer of 2021, working on the summit as a college intern during the pandemic.

After graduating from Penn State in 2022, AJ began working as a meteorologist in Erie, Pennsylvania. He now serves as the weekend morning meteorologist at NBC 10 in Providence, Rhode Island.

AJ on NBC 10 (Photo Courtesy AJ Mastrangelo)

He still keeps in touch with fellow interns and Observatory staff—and checks the summit webcams regularly. “I was checking out the Observatory webcams 24/7 when I was a kid, and I still do that — so really, nothing’s changed.”

AJ also reflects on why support for the Observatory is important. “It’s got a long-standing history of weather observation and data that’s not only necessary but crucial… I also think the Observatory does a really good job at making sure people are understanding of the risks [on the mountain] in terms of the weather and just how extreme and special it is.”

AJ’s story—spanning from childhood visitor to summit intern to professional meteorologist—reflects the impact of the Observatory’s commitment to education, offering young people meaningful opportunities to build skills, make connections, and pursue careers in science.

Thank you to all our members for your continued support. Like AJ, you understand the importance of long-term research and the value of advancing weather science for future generations. Your commitment helps ensure the Observatory’s work continues—on the summit and beyond.