Winter Wonderland

2012-04-11 19:28:51.000 – Rebecca Scholand,  Operations Assistant

Snow Covered Summit

Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if I had not decided to join the Mount Washington Observatory team almost two years ago. I think about all the once in a lifetime experiences I never would have seen or experienced. I ponder what I might think a windy day was like, or what cold really feels like. Luckily, I became an Intern in the spring of 2010 and have been here ever since. Today I was able to add another once in a life time experience to the book.

This morning as I left the valley, flowers pushing up through the soil, birds chirping, and the general feel of spring in the air, I remembered the environmental change I was about to embark on. From the base of the Mount Washington Auto Road to the summit of Mount Washington there can be an incredible spring to winter transition this time of year. Today was no different on our commute to work.

Arriving to the summit we were greeted by a winter wonderland. Typically the snow that falls on Mount Washington gets blown right off the mountain so it really isn’t accumulating on the summit. However due to light winds the snow was able to just settle where it landed. Being that this is the home of the ‘World’s Worst Weather’ you can imagine my excitement to see the summit snow covered. No iced over rocks, drifted wind slab snow, or scoured patches. It was just light snow covering everythingand to a degree I have not seen on the summit before. Experiencing this harsh mountain on a day so clam and peaceful is truly something to appreciate. Who knows tomorrow it might be all blowing snow.

Rebecca Scholand,  Operations Assistant