The Flow of Things

2013-06-05 23:52:07.000 – Ryan Knapp,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist

Some color this evening.

It feels odd returning to my routine of drinking coffee at 11 pm at night so I can make it through the night shift. Working nights for me is nothing new; however, I have not stayed up past 1 am since my last night shift back on April 30/May 1, over a month ago. So, tonight may be a struggle. But I am not too concerned since I have been working night shifts on the summit of Mount Washington and elsewhere for over a decade now. So, if I can just get over this initial hump, the rest of this work week should flow fine as far as my work routine goes. When it comes to the flow of the weather though, that’s going to be an interesting story in the days ahead.

A strong tropical flow will be setting up over the eastern US in the coming days dumping three inches or more of rain. This will bring an increasing potential for flooding in many parts of the northeast and east coast. And while mountain peaks will not be flooding, the ravines and notches around us will not be as lucky. So hikers this coming weekend should be aware that water crossings may become swollen or impassible in some areas with the possibility of some flash flooding. And, as the ground becomes oversaturated, isolated mudslides cannot be ruled out. So, if you’re a hiker, please use caution this weekend and keep the ‘turn around, don’t drown’ mantra in mind.

Ryan Knapp,  Weather Observer/Meteorologist