Wrapping Up A Season
2016-07-02 16:02:21.000 – Mike Carmon, Weather Observer & Education Specialist
Another month has come and gone rather quickly on Mount Washington, and June 2016 certainly did not disappoint with its weather. At the conclusion of every month, a thorough check of all forms and data from the past month is required before the month can be officially deemed, well, “official.”
In addition, the conclusion of June wraps up a season on Mount Washington, as we consider July – June one complete season (the purpose of which is to contain a single winter in one block of time). This adds a yearly check of forms to our to-do list. In the midst of completing our monthly and yearly checks this week, some interesting facts and figures have come to light:
Our average temperature for the season (July 2015-June 2016) is 30.1°F
(2.8°F above average)
Our warmest temperature: 65°F
(This was hit three times—all in the Summer of 2015.)
Our coldest temperature: -40°F
(This was reached in February. It was the coldest temperature recorded on Mount Washington in nearly 12 years.)
The spread between our warmest and coldest temperatures this season: 105°F!
Our snowfall total: 217.5”
(This puts us 63.7″–over 5 feet–below seasonal average.
Our average wind speed over the entire season: 35.0 MPH
Our “normal”average wind speed: 35.0 MPH
That puts us at EXACTLY NORMAL for wind speeds for July 2015 – June 2016.
Our highest wind gust came on March 29th, out of the west at 133 MPH!
The number of days we reached hurricane force winds: 146
(This averages to a gust over hurricane force 1 out of every 2.5 days.)
The number of days we reached 100 MPH: 32
(This averages to a gust over 100 mph approximately 1 out of every 11 days.)
It certainly was a topsy-turvy season, but if anything on Mount Washington is normal, it’s rapid changes and unanticipated swings of extreme weather. Despite our well-below-average winter for snowfall, June 2016 is our third-snowiest on record.
This mountain never fails to impress, and the 2015-2016 season was no exception to that!
Mike Carmon, Weather Observer & Education Specialist
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