What To Know Before You Go
2017-05-27 05:34:42.000 – Ryan Knapp, Weather Observer/Staff Meteorologist
Many consider this weekend as the unofficial start of summer. And with summer planning on people’s minds, we have started to get several questions via phone, email, and our various social media pages about the operating schedules for the various entities on and around Mount Washington. While I know I can’t cover every question people might have, I can at least direct people towards the information that come from our most common inquiries.
Mount Washington Observatory:
Our Weather Discovery Center in North Conway is open daily from 10am to 5pm. Live From the Rockpile runs at 11am and 2pm daily. Additional information can be found HERE
Weather Station Tours – available when the Mt. Washington State Park Sherman Adams Visitor Center is open to the public (see below). Additional information and registration available HERE.
Extreme Mount Washington (summit museum) is located inside the Mt. Washington State Park Sherman Adams Visitor Center; it is open whenever the NH State Park Visitor Center is open to the public (see below). Additional information available HERE.
Mount Washington State Park:
Mt. Washington State Park, Sherman Adams Summit Building, Concession, Tip Top Historic Site operating hours are available halfway down their website HERE. Hours are subject to change, so please check their page and/or contact them directly (information at the top of their page) for the most current information.
Mt Washington Auto Road:
Information for the Mt Washington Auto Road can be found on their website HERE and their schedule of operations is available HERE. Hours of operation are subject to change, so please check their page, their social media pages, and/or contact them directly for their most current information.
The Mount Washington Cog Railway:
Information for the Mount Washington Cog Railway can be found on their website HERE and their schedule of operations is available HERE. Hours of operation are subject to change, so please check their page, their social media pages, and/or contact them directly for the most current information.
White Mountain Huts of New Hampshire:
Information about the AMC network of high mountain huts is available HERE. Information about the RMC high mountain huts is available HERE.
Trail and Tuckerman Ravine conditions:
Trail conditions can be found HERE or by reading the forums available HERE. Tuckerman Ravine conditions can be found on the Mount Washington Avalanche Center page HERE.
Weather:
Current weather conditions for the summit can be found HERE. Current conditions from our mesonet can be found here HERE. Historical data can be found HERE (useful to figure out what’s “typical” for a given time period). Our 48 hour Higher Summits Forecast is updated daily by 5 am and 5 pm and is available HERE. Note: we do not provide extended or personalized forecasts; so please bookmark the forecast page and check back as your hike approaches. For a second opinion or for additional points around the state, the National Weather Service provides a 24-36 hour recreational forecasts available HERE. You will likely notice the NWS and MWO forecasts rarely agree due to the areas we are forecasting for. NWS forecasts the entirety of the White Mountains while MWO focuses more on the summit of Mt Washington and surrounding peaks closer to 5000 feet. Both forecasts are good to examine with the mindset that NWS will be the best case scenario you will encounter and MWO will be the worst case scenario. If you prepare for both, you will rarely be caught be off guard.
Morning light on southern peaks as foliage returns to the WMNF
Ryan Knapp, Weather Observer/Staff Meteorologist
One Down, One To Go
One Down, One to Go By Ryan Knapp On my calendar for March 2025, I had two reminders of events to look forward to in the sky. The first occurred this past week with
A Windy Start to March: A Look at Forecasting (and Battling) Category 4 Level Gusts
A Windy Start to March: A Look at Forecasting (and Battling) Category 4 Level Gusts By Charlie Peachey This winter at the Observatory has been freezing and, recently, historically windy. Just a few weeks ago,
From Intern to Educator to Observer: My Next Chapter with the Obs
From Intern to Educator to Observer: My Next Chapter with the Obs By Amy Cotter For the past year and a half, I have worked with Mount Washington Observatory in a variety of positions.
