Things Seem To Have Gone Backwards

2015-04-29 17:04:32.000 – Michael Kyle, Weather Observer/IT Specialist

After some extra days off the summit to report for jury duty back in New Jersey, I am back on the summit today. It has been quite a change in scenery upon returning to New Hampshire and even more so, on the summit. When I left the summit last week it really looked like spring was melting away the winter vistas across the White Mountain National Forest.

The Sunday I left (4/19), conditions were looking like it would be the best day of spring skiing in the White Mountains. Upon getting back to New Jersey, spring was clearly in the air. Trees and flowers were starting to blossom and green was starting to drown out the winter’s browns and greys across the landscape. The lovely warm spring weather swiftly melted away the memory of the winter that I had left back on the summit of Mount Washington. After reporting and serving for jury duty, and officially starting my off week, I was able to continue enjoying the spring weather we had back in New Jersey by visiting the boardwalk, doing some golfing, and just about anything else I could do outside.

In heading back to New Hampshire this week I broke the trip up into two days and visited family friends. While signs of spring were more abundant across New England, news from back on the summit was of more wintry conditions, with the summit witnessing many days of fog and snow. The late winter blast prolonged our Snow Cat season too!

Once finally making it to the summit, it was amazing to see how much the ground cover increased, and how the glimpse of spring in the landscape had changed back to those views that were seen all winter long. Hopefully the quickly-approaching weekend will bring back the spring conditions we’re eagerly awaiting on the summit.

Michael Kyle, Weather Observer/IT Specialist