Historical Posts Archives - Mount Washington Observatory

Septem-burrr!

2022-09-25 20:07:59.000 – Ryan Knapp, Weather Observer/Staff Meteorologist

The summit of Mount Washington has experienced freezing temperatures and rime/glaze ice three times (so far) this month. And with the recent cold snap, the summit also received some snow/sleet. When we posted images and videos about the cold, snow, and ice, a common comment each time was something along the lines of, “It seems early.” For valley locations around here, you would likely be correct. However, for mountainous terrain in NH, winter weather in September is common. In fact, for the summit of Mount Washington, September is the month when we typically see our first freeze of the season, our first rime/glaze ice event of the season, our first snow of the season, and our first inch of snowfall for the season. But, lets dig a bit deeper.

Let’s start with temperatures. The average daily temperature goes from 47F on the 1st down to 38F by the end of the month. Contrast that to August where the average daily temperature on August 1st is 50F and the average on the 31st is 47F.

September’s ~10 degree change is typical for nearly all shoulder season months. October goes from 37 to 26F, November goes from 25 to 16F, and December goes from 16 to 8F. So, September marks the start of colder weather returning to the higher terrain. This has to do with less daylight, shifting weather patterns, and colder northern air returning.

While colder temperatures are more common starting in September, freezing temperatures can occur at any point of the year. While they are less common in the summer, they do occur. In fact, examining our daily record lows over the course of the year (Jan 1 to Dec 31), they range from 47F below to 34F above. If we only count the days where the daily record low is >32F (so record lows above freezing), there are only four days where that has occurred. If we expand it just a bit and count the days where the record low was 32F or greater, then there are only 9 days where that has occurred. So while it might not be common to see freezing temperatures in the summer, it clearly is not impossible.

With cold temperatures comes the possibility of rime and glaze ice. The summit is in the fog over 60% of the year. As a result, as temperatures drop to below freezing, the super-cooled water molecules that make up fog allow for the formation of rime or glaze ice as they hit various surfaces (want to learn more about rime ice, check out this blog). Additionally, if the surface is cold but the air aloft is warm, we might see ice accumulations from freezing rain or freezing drizzle. As colder air returns, it is not a question if we will see rime but when. And since we typically see our first freeze of the season, the first icing typically occurs at some point in September.

For snow, it all comes down to timing. Some years, we might see cold, rime, and snow all happening at once. However, most years we typically see cold and rime return first as they occur after a cold front sweeps through and after the precipitation has left the region. But as ambient air temperatures continue to decrease over the month, the cold air returns sooner and sticks around longer until eventually it arrives prior to the precipitation tapering.

Statistically speaking, the month of September averages 1.2 inches of snowfall. Most of this occurs on the backend of a cold front or during upslope events behind an exiting cold front. While snow in September can occur, it is not known for being an exceptionally snowy month as the record maximum monthly snowfall for September is only 7.8 inches. While snowfall totals might not be significant most years, it is enough to whiten up the summit, slicken trails, and result in our first snowfall and first inch of snowfall for the season.

Tip Top House and the summit sign surrounded by the fresh September snow and ice at sunrise on 24 Sept 2022

Mt Clay, Mt Jefferson, Mt Adams, and Mt Madison with recent snow/ice on Mt Washington at sunrise 25 September 2022

Ryan Knapp, Weather Observer/Staff Meteorologist

Meteorological Awe-tumn

2022-09-20 15:08:56.000 – Sam Robinson, Weather Observer/Engineer

September marks the beginning of meteorological autumn, which is my favorite season, especially on the summit. Variety is the theme for this season with a little bit of everything to be expected! We are just over half way through the month and we have already experienced a couple days reaching 60 degrees and a couple falling below freezing, with plenty of in between.

Up on the summit, I have been lucky enough to already get a little taste of winter on two separate occasions. Very fittingly on the first day of meteorological autumn, September 1, we experienced strong cold air advection from the west/northwest which funneled in sub-freezing temperatures. We saw the first icing event of the season and I had to change out of my pajamas to take the RM Young propeller driven anemometer down at night. Definitely a bittersweet moment!

A more significant cold snap came this shift on Sept. 14-15, where we got down to 27 degrees and had glaze icing which shifted to riming and lasted for many hours, spanning two days. Read my interview with WBUR for more about this storm.

We had the heat on in the office during the day along with a “Red Apple Wreath” candle burning, and it certainly felt more like December than September coming inside and shedding our winter gear after de-icing. The following day, high pressure built in which allowed winds to relax, skies to clear, and temperatures rose to 44 degrees. Quite the change from days prior!

This season combines my favorite aspects of New England weather, while also not usually being too extreme in one direction or the other, at least not at lower elevations. Thunderstorms are not uncommon at the beginning of autumn, with summer-like stretches still happening in September, and snow is possible at both high and low elevation as we near the end of the season (November). Most of the weather in between tends to be comfortable and enjoyable with cool nights and mild days. Foliage is just beginning to poke out, mainly around swamps, but I am expecting to be surprised at the progression when I head back down on Wednesday.

Autumn is my favorite time of year to get out and hike as well because it tends to be more comfortable, less buggy, and have plenty of natural beauty to take in. On my last off week, I hiked my local ski mountain with my pup after dropping my new skis off at the ski shop for a mount. Something about hiking the ski mountain, after dropping off the new skis, with the crisp fall air around, that really got me excited and itching for ski season! I bought a pair of powder skis this year, 117mm underfoot, so if we end up with a low snow season, I am definitely the one to blame. Anyways, here’s to a snowy winter!!

I will wrap up this blog with the veteran Weather Observer in me… I’d like to remind all of those who like to recreate in the White Mountains that we are heading into the fall shoulder season and conditions in the alpine zone will almost always be drastically different than conditions at trailheads. Remember to check our 48-Hour Higher Summits Forecast when heading up and out! I hope you enjoyed reading this blog, I enjoyed writing as always.

Sam Robinson, Weather Observer/Engineer

No Granite on the Top of The Granite State?

2022-09-09 12:33:54.000 – Hayden Pearson, Weather Observer & Research Specialist

While New Hampshire is known as The Granite State, there is actually no granite to be found on the summit of Mount Washington. This is a common misconception by many who visit New England’s highest peak. The majority of the bedrock that visitors see is in fact a Devonian metamorphic schist and quartzite of the Littleton Formation.

This formation started out as eroded mud and sand deposits, at the bottom of an ancient ocean, which were then metamorphosed into the rock we see today.

So how did material that was on the bottom of an ocean end up on the top of a mountain? To fully understand where these rocks came from, we have to unravel a bit of the complicated geologic history of the White Mountains and how they were formed.

This plate tectonic cross-section depicts the forming of the Presidential Mountains starting ~420 million years ago with the deposition of marine sediment (Eusden 2010).

This saga started about 425 million years ago with two prehistoric oceans, the Kronos and Rheic Oceans. These separated the Laurentia tectonic plate from the Avalon plate and the Avalon plate from the Gondwana plate. High amounts of erosion transported rocks and sediment from these ancient tectonic plates to the bottom of the oceans until about 410 million years ago. It is these sediment deposits that would become the summit of Mount Washington.

As the Laurentia and Avalon plates moved, they closed off the ancient oceans, trapping this sediment between them before colliding. The immense heat and pressure that comes from the collision of the tectonic plates turned this sediment into schist and quartzite.

The Acadian Collision, the event that caused the metamorphism, occurred roughly 390 million years ago, deforming the rock. This deformation came from the active thrust fault, the process by which one tectonic plate rides up over the other, very much in the same way that the Himalayas are formed today. This collision would have created a mountain range at least 15,000 feet tall, rivaling the heights of the Rocky Mountains!

The view of the ancient Presidential Range, ~400 million years ago, as viewed from the west. This is compared to today’s skyline (Eusden 2010).

While tectonic plates continued to collide over the next 100 million years to form Pangea and the remainder of the Appalachian Mountains, no significant mountain building occurred in New England during this time. It wasn’t until the opening of the Atlantic Ocean, roughly 180 million years ago during the Triassic period, when there was a lot of volcanism that occurred within New Hampshire from plate subduction as the ocean grew. As the ocean spread, it pushed material down under the mountain range where heating from the mantle melted the rock and allowed it to work its way to the surface of Earth’s crust.

Due to erosion, not much igneous rock remains from this period in geologic history. Rock formations from this time can most easily be seen in both Tuckerman and Huntington Ravines, where meter-wide basalt dikes – large intrusions of igneous rock – ascend areas around the headwalls. While still grand, the Presidential Range has undergone a lot of mountain building and erosion in its nearly 400 million years of existence, a lot of which occurred from being covered by the Laurentide Ice Sheet during the Last Glacial Maximum ending roughly 12,000 years ago. That, however, is a story for a different day.

Timeline of mountain building and erosion events that caused the creation of the Presidential Mountain Range (Eusden 2010).

If you happen to be traveling up to the higher summits this summer and want to know more, NEIGC published a comprehensive roadside guide to the geology as you ascend Mount Washington.

Was there ever granite on Mount Washington? Maybe. Granite metamorphoses into granitic gneiss. Granite is a phaneritic intrusive igneous rock, so at some point, since there are other igneous depositions found, there could have been granite on the summit in the distant past. There are some bits of granite if you look at a geologic map of the area, but they are not on the summit, nor on most of the White Mountain summits. Granite erodes easier than the schists that are left, and during glacial events, large amounts of material were removed from the mountains, so there are some gaps in the geologic stratigraphy.

Figures courtesy of J. Eusden at Bates College.

References

Eusden, J. “The Presidential Range: Its Geologic and Tectonic History” Department of Geology, Bates College. 2010.

Eusden, J. & Anderson, Brigit & Castro, Carlos & Gardner, Patrick & Guiterman, Christopher & Higgins, Stephanie & Kugel, Kelley & Reid, Adam & Rodda, Charles & Tamposi, Caitlin. (2017). Bedrock Geology of Mt. Washington, Presidential Range, NH. 177-196. 10.26780/2017.001.0011. 2017

Hayden Pearson, Weather Observer & Research Specialist

Reflections on a Mount Washington Summer

2022-08-26 15:00:13.000 – Henry Moskovitz, Summit Intern

Having concluded my summer internship at Mount Washington Observatory, I look back on a beautiful, exciting summer full of meaningful work, friendships, and laughter.

I began my internship in early May with anxious excitement. This was an opportunity that I had dreamed about for a year and it was finally happening, but I felt nervous about fitting in and being comfortable in this new environment. Fortunately, Jay and Jackie (the observers on my first shift) helped me feel at home and got me working right away. Throughout this summer I have met, worked, and even danced with so many wonderful people that the experience will be one that I always cherish and remember.

A large part of my work was comprised of a research project studying near-surface lapse rates on Mount Washington. A near-surface lapse rate is the rate of change of surface air temperature with elevation along terrain. This project highlighted for me how variable temperature is in areas with complex terrain. It also illustrated why weather in the mountains can be so unpredictable. Watch our August edition of Science in the Mountains to learn more about the project.

Temperature is fundamental to the formation of weather, and as temperature varies widely over terrain, so too does the weather. After one of my shifts, I experienced this while hiking from Pinkham Notch to the Lakes of the Clouds Hut. Above tree line, I felt a rapid change in temperature as I became exposed to air rising out of Tuckerman Ravine. This also corresponded with the formation of clouds along the headwall. That day, the east side of the mountain was dry at the surface, but once I crossed to the west side, the rocks became wet as they were exposed to a different lapse rate, which resulted in greater condensation. Having learned some of these concepts in school, the real-world experience is super valuable to me.

Clouds forming on Tuckerman Ravine.

Mount Washington is a place that is both beautiful and harsh; to me those adjectives are not mutually exclusive.

During my first week, the weather flipped from crystal clear, warm weather, to cold and stormy. While the clear days were pretty in their own right, the storm transported us into a new world. Winds gusted over 100 mph and freezing fog stuck to every exposed surface; to be left alone outside would likely lead to hypothermia and death. Yet, when the clouds parted and the winds eased, I was greeted by a sparkling world of white feathered ice, rime ice. This was a world I had never seen before.

My first time experiencing rime ice.

Throughout the summer, I continued to see the world from a unique perspective. On a few occasions, I woke up in the morning to find the summit protruding between layers of clouds: a blanket of clouds below, filling the valleys, and a blanket above. Situated between two cloud layers really feels like being on a heavenly island.

Above the world, the early morning light bounces up and down, between the clouds, almost blinding at times. Some say don’t got to the light. I say, give it a try, it’s pretty nice up there :)

As the Earth’s surface warms, the moisture in the valleys bubbles from below, rising as cumulus clouds. In the afternoon, those clouds have grown into storms, dropping rain showers over the peaks and valleys. Next thing I know we are enveloped by a cloud. I seek shelter indoors as strong gusts of wind pelt rain against our windows. Then out of nowhere explodes a flash and bang! Lightning strikes one of the radio towers, and being so close we experience the thunder instantly. As the storms pass, the summit clears just in time for sunset. Pinks, oranges, deep blues and purple fill the sky. The storms that have passed now look like a watercolor painting on the eastern horizon. With the setting sun, the world fades into a darkness speckled with sparkling stars and wrapped in the ribbon of the milky way.

Summit exposed between layers of clouds.

The summer passed by like a blur before my eyes. Research, forecasting, weather observation and goofing around with the Lakes of the Clouds croo filled my days without a dull moment. Having spent so much time literally in the clouds, now back at the surface, my head is still in them. I look upward and try to determine what feature is forming the weather before me.

This summer has been so full of the real-world application of meteorology that it will be invaluable to me as I continue my education. Returning to my senior year of college in Florida, I will have a greater respect and admiration as I watch storms develop.

The Northeast is nicknamed “the exhaust pipe of America” because so many storms converge there. With that logic, Florida is like the engine. This coming year I will watch storms develop and drift up the east coast to Mount Washington, and hopefully I can send a greeting embedded in the howling wind.

Beautiful colors at sunset.

Henry Moskovitz, Summit Intern

A Marine Biologist in the Mountains

2022-08-15 14:34:28.000 – Naomi Lubkin, Summit Intern

Summit Intern Naomi Lubkin on the observation deck.

My first shift at the Observatory was a cold, clear day back in May, and what I remember most was the feeling of excitement and uncertainty. I truly had no idea what I was getting myself into, but I knew I was ready to learn, work, and live on the highest summit in the northeast.

Having grown up just a little ways down the road in Bartlett, NH, I’ve always been familiar with Mount Washington. Part of my fourth grade curriculum was learning about the history of the mountain, and my daily commute to high school included passing the Intervale Scenic Vista and catching a glimpse of the often snow-capped peak.

I’m about to head into my fourth year at the University of British Columbia, where I study biology with a specialization in marine biology. All summer, whenever I tell people I study biology, I’m invariably asked: “So… why the Observatory?”

The answer, at least to me, is obvious. While biology and meteorology may seem completely unrelated at first glance, if you look further you’ll start seeing connections. An example is one of my favorite places in the world: the intertidal zone. This is the incredibly biodiverse area where the land meets the sea; at high tides, it’s covered by water, and at low tides, it’s dry and exposed to the elements.

Intertidal organisms, many of which are glued to the rock and can’t move with the water, have developed some really cool adaptations to survive these changing conditions. For example, the seaweed Ulva fenestrata (also known as sea lettuce) can completely dry out at low tides, and then when the tide comes back in will rehydrate without missing a beat. Giant green anemones will curl in on themselves and stick bits of broken shells to their bodies to conserve moisture and avoid damaging UV rays.

For me, understanding large scale climate trends sheds light on why organisms need the adaptations they have. The upper limit of how high on the shore organisms can survive is often determined by how much extreme weather they can handle. (Remember, “extreme” means different things to you than it does to an anemone!)

A tide pool near Bamfield, BC, Canada, showing the biodiversity of intertidal life. Ulva fenestrata is the grass-green seaweed. Giant green anemones, some with shell fragments stuck to them, are visible in the middle of the image.

Beyond this, my interest in more fine-scale weather has been solidified by my time studying in Vancouver. In the city, which is sometimes referred to as “Raincouver,” it’s rare to see the sun in winter. During these bleak, gray months I’ve found myself obsessively checking the forecast for when we may get a window of clear skies. This naturally morphed into an interest in what is driving those systems and a desire to more meaningfully understand how the weather works.

This desire, as well as my love of the White Mountains, led me to the Observatory. As my time here draws to a close, I can say with certainty that it’s been a summer I won’t forget. Life at the summit has been as interesting and variable as the weather. I’ve experienced my fair share of cool and extreme weather, I’ve had the opportunity to learn from and work closely with extremely knowledgeable people, and I’ve also had a lot of fun.

Highlights of the summer include waking up at 2:30 am to see the Northern Lights, struggling to walk in a 94 mph gust, trying to win over summit cat Nimbus, chatting with co-workers at our family style dinners every night, and many foggy hikes to and from Lakes of the Clouds Hut. As my last week at the Observatory draws to a close, I’ve been thinking back to that first week; I’ve learned so much between then and now, and I’m really grateful for my time at the Obs.

The Northern Lights visible from the summit on July 4, 2022.

In addition to various summit operation tasks, giving weather station tours, shadowing observations, and learning to write mountain forecasts, much of my time on the summit has been spent on a research project. Alongside Appalachian Mountain Club Intern Larz von Huene, I am updating the long-term wind and humidity trends on Mount Washington and exploring what impacts these trends may have on alpine tree lines.

The upper elevation at which trees can grow in the White Mountains is limited by conditions like wind and moisture, so by examining long term trends in wind and humidity, we can hopefully understand better how tree line may be shifting over time and implications for alpine ecosystems.

You may have noticed that there are a few parallels between the intertidal zone I was talking about earlier and tree line on Mount Washington. Mainly, in both environments, upper limits are determined by species’ ability to survive harsh conditions. On Mount Washington, these conditions just happen to be extreme wind and ice instead of the heat and bright sunlight that challenge intertidal organisms. This project is a clear example of the intersection between meteorology and biology, and how understanding weather and climate trends is an essential part of understanding ecosystems. It’s been really rewarding for me to bring a biological perspective to this weather-oriented project.

Naomi Lubkin, left, and Larz von Huene are shown around tree line on Mount Washington this summer.

To hear more about our research project, as well as the research project conducted by fellow MWOBS Intern Henry Moskovitz, join us for the Science in the Mountains™ virtual lecture on Tuesday, August 16th at 7pm. Click here for more information and to register for the Zoom session.

Naomi Lubkin, Summit Intern

Citizen Science Puts Weather Reporting in Your Hands

A distant shower falls over Mount Martha, NH (aka, Cherry Mountain).

If you’re anything like me, you probably have an app or two dedicated to weather on your phone. Maybe you have a preferred app for weather forecasts, another for radar data, and yet another for satellite data. Or maybe instead of apps, you have several go-to websites bookmarked for various weather data.

Weather information keeps us informed so that we can prepare appropriately for the weather ahead, short-term or long-term. With colder weather in the forecast, we might pack a few extra layers or pull in a few more logs for the stove. Or, we might receive a warning about a severe storm heading your direction, and so we pack up, head indoors, and keep an eye on its progress.

While your favorite apps or websites might be providing you with weather data, did you know there are a few apps/sites that you can utilize and provide current weather data to aid in research as a citizen scientist?

Here are some apps that I have on my phone and might be of interest to you:

Mountain Rain or Snow

Remote sensing is improving and aiding in filling weather data gaps. However, precipitation phase changes can be difficult over mountainous terrain, and weather stations only provide information at a static location. That is where human observations aid in detailing how precipitation phase changes vary in time and space. Using these apps, with a few taps you can send observations of precipitation during storms at your location.

Forecasting

NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory is collecting weather reports through the free app mPING. What’s “mPING?” It is an acronym for Meteorological Phenomena Identification Near the Ground. The data in turn help define the precipitation that is falling at your location and improve forecasts and radar techniques. That in turn filters down to improve those various other weather apps you might be using for forecasts and radar data.

Cloud Types and Sky Conditions

GLOBE Observer Clouds can be used to observe clouds, mosquito habitats, land cover, and trees. With the cloud observation aspect, you can help document cloud cover, cloud types, cloud opacity, sky conditions, visibilities, and surface conditions along with photographic examples. It is a bit more involved than the prior reporting apps, but with a few taps and snaps, you can contribute your real-world observations for better understanding and interpretation of satellite data vs surface data.

Ryan Knapp, Weather Observer & Meteorologist

1111, 2022

Higher Summits Forecast Keeps Climbing School Leader in the Know

Charlie Buterbaugh2023-03-25T18:42:34-04:00November 11th, 2022|Categories: Impact Stories|

Paul McCoy guides ice and rock climbing, mountaineering, and ski outings in the White Mountains. He relies on Mount Washington Observatory forecasts to anticipate weather and keep people safe in the backcountry. If you value these forecasts, consider supporting our mission. Long before reaching treeline, Paul McCoy

1111, 2022

Mountain Washington’s Response to Climate Change Now ‘Statistically Significant,’ Research Shows

Charlie Buterbaugh2022-11-11T14:31:56-05:00November 11th, 2022|Categories: Impact Stories|

Mountain Washington’s Response to Climate Change Now ‘Statistically Significant,’ Research Shows Observatory Provides the Only Data Source for Measuring Climate Trends on White Mountain Peaks By MWOBS Staff | December 28, 2021 A Sept. 2021 view of Mount Washington from the summit of Mount Monroe, with

1111, 2022

Observatory Builds New Wind Sensors for Frontier Science on Everest

Charlie Buterbaugh2023-02-25T16:01:02-05:00November 11th, 2022|Categories: Impact Stories|

Observatory Builds New Wind Sensors for Frontier Science on Everest In May, climate scientists and a cadre of highly specialized Sherpas ventured to Mount Everest to install new automated weather stations at the planet’s outer edge. Their packs held tripods and a load of tech. In the

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Dear Self, Mount Washington has A Lot to Teach You

2022-07-26 12:34:31.000 – Alexis George, Weather Observer & Meteorologist

I loaded my backpack with power tools and then I was ready. Ready to hike up Virginia’s highest peak to perform maintenance on one of Virginia Tech’s weather stations.

Located in southwestern Virginia, Mt. Rogers is well known for its wild ponies, sweeping views, and most importantly, unpredictable weather. On this blistering hot day, it was hard to believe that just two weeks prior, the summit was shrouded in wind-driven snow, with gusts up to 50 miles per hour. As a student working towards their meteorology degree at the time, I understood that winter-like conditions are not uncommon at the highest of elevations in May.

The solar-powered weather station is a few meters high and collects data such as wind speed, temperature, humidity, and rainfall. The remotely accessed weather station translates data to an online resource, which is vital to researchers as well as visitors wanting to know current weather conditions at Mt. Rogers.

Alexis George, left, performing maintenance on a Mt. Rogers weather station with the Meteorology department at Virginia Tech.

My team and I spent the entire day in the fierce heat making sure the weather station was operational. At the time, I wondered where that field experience would take me by the time I graduated college. I never imagined that I would be working as a Night Observer at the Home of the World’s Worst Weather a year later.

My name is Alexis George, and my most memorable experience since joining the weather observation team at Mount Washington Observatory has been the snowstorm that hit the summit last month, on June 19.

It was surreal to see snow right at the start of summer, and I was beyond excited to see rime ice forming for the first time. With a B.S. in Meteorology, part of what drew me to work at Mount Washington was the extreme winter weather. I had never visited Mount Washington prior to my first day on the job, but I arrived eager to experience the freezing temperatures, hurricane-force winds, and snow that turns the summit into an Arctic wonderland that I had only read about.

Snow and ice coated Mount Washington on June 19.

I just started working at the Observatory at the beginning of June, so I had not seen snow on Mount Washington yet. Temperatures dropped well below freezing and winds were gusting over 90 mph by the time the night shift started on June 19. With sub-zero temperatures and high wind speeds, it is critical that observers wear the right gear to go outside. I needed to make sure I wore several warm layers, a waterproof jacket, winter hiking boots, gloves, and ski goggles when I went outside that night to make weather observations.

During below-freezing temperatures, observers are required to de-ice the weather instruments hourly. I was still in the process of being trained as a new weather observer, so I was also on shift with another night observer, Ryan Knapp, when the snow storm hit. While I climbed the ladders to the top of the weather station, Ryan instructed me on how to de-ice the instruments. He was instructing inside because I ultimately would not be able to hear him over the raging winds outside.

Choosing a heavy mallet as my weapon of choice to break up the rime ice forming on the weather instruments, I remember that sound of the wind that struck me first as I stepped onto the observation tower. The winds were so ferocious that it sounded like a freight train outside. It was exhilarating just using brute force to break up the rime ice, but I learned quickly to be cautious of where and how I stood while de-icing. If I was not careful, one smack of the mallet and the hurricane-force winds could send large chunks of rime ice flying into the air right back at me.

Rime ice formation on the observation tower.

De-icing the weather instruments every hour is a very physically demanding task, but, at the end of the day, I value the hard work I put in as a weather observer. There is a satisfying sense of accomplishment I get after finishing a night shift, exhausted, and digging into a giant bowl of pasta before hitting the sack. Some people might look at the extreme weather on Mount Washington and be trepidatious. However, it was fascinating for me to witness just how powerful the Earth can be when I was up on the observation tower de-icing the weather instruments.

Even though most of my time working at Mount Washington has been during the more mild summer season so far, I look forward to experiencing the full force that the winter season has to offer at the summit. I know that the winter will be completely different from anything that I have experienced so far, but given my enthusiasm for weather science, I believe it will be well worth it.

Alexis at the summit.

Alexis George, Weather Observer & Meteorologist

2022 Seek the Peak Photos

2022-07-20 10:40:15.000 – MWOBS Staff, Contributed photos.

Thanks to our 2022 Seek the Peak fundraisers, sponsors, volunteers, Vendor Village exhibitors, and visitors, our 22nd annual event was a huge success, helping us raise an impressive $175,000!

That’s a critical portion of our annual budget and will help sustain Mount Washington Observatory’s work in mountain meteorology and climate science.

Mount Washington Observatory is celebrating 90 years this fall, and Seek the Peak is a critical fundraising event to keep our nonprofit going another nine decades.

Next year, Seek the Peak will return on July 14-15, 2023. We look forward to seeing you there!

View images from last weekend’s event below.

Adventure Expo visitors tune in to the annual gear giveaway.

Pack fitting was offered at the EMS and Backpacker Magazine booths.

EMS field experts get ready for the expo to open.

Seek the Peak hikers enjoy views from the Observation tower during a tour of our summit weather station.

Seek the Peak team ‘The Seekers’ are shown atop Blueberry Mountain.

Oboz Footwear, a 2022 Presenting Sponsor, provided insole fitting at the expo. EMS photo.

Carrie Slife of MWOBS visits with Mel Elam and her cat Flokie at Tuckerman Brewing Co. Friday night at the Seek the Peak kick-off party. Mel and Flokie have summited all of New Hampshire’s 4,000 footers together.

Seek the Peak hikers visit the Backpacker Get Out More Tour booth. EMS photo.

Randy Propster of Backpacker helps a visitor with pack fitting.

The Bear Mountain Band performs at the expo.

Cotopaxi brought tons of color to the expo. EMS photo.

The gear giveaway.

Hyperlite Mountain Gear was one of our 2022 sponsors.

Granite Backcountry Alliance was one of our sponsors. EMS photo.

Visitors learn about our weather and climate work in the White Mountains at the MWOBS booth.

Randy Propster of Backpacker and Carrie Slife of MWOBS pull raffle tickets as the gear giveaway begins.

A MWOBS parking volunteer greets the camera enthusiastically by the food trucks.

An expo visitor enjoys music performed by the Bear Mountain Band. EMS photo.

MWOBS Staff, Contributed photos.

Saying Farewell to the ‘Home of the World’s Worst Weather’

2022-06-27 17:27:39.000 – Jackie Bellefontaine, Weather Observer & Education Specialist

Great memories and great people.

In January 2021, I started an incredible adventure here at Mount Washington Observatory as an intern, followed by joining our summit staff that following March as a weather observer and education specialist. Over my time here, I have grown in many ways and have found a home on the summit.

I’m so fortunate for my experiences and the amazing people who make up the summit — my fellow observers who are truly incredible individuals, the fabulous volunteers, our enthusiastic interns, the awesome NH State Parks crew, and the Observatory’s dedicated staff down in the valley (I could go on and on with the adjectives to describe all the wonderful people I’ve been lucky to meet up here!).

Thank you all for making my time here truly something special. I will miss the extreme weather, the challenges and the learning experiences of this unique place, but I will miss the people most! A very special thank you to my shift. The memories we made on the summit will always be very dear to me.

I’m excited for the next chapter in my life continuing on with science outreach in the New Hampshire Lakes Region, and so incredibly grateful for all the experiences from my time at Mount Washington Observatory. I’ll always carry them with me.

Thank you again, everybody, for your support during my time here. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for all of you incredible people!

Until next time!

With all my heart,

Jackie

Jackie Bellefontaine, Weather Observer & Education Specialist

From the High Arctic to Mount Washington’s Alpine Tundra

2022-06-20 13:43:57.000 – Hayden Pearson, Weather Observer & Education Specialist

Hayden Pearson driving to fieldwork in central Spitsbergen. Image taken by fellow researcher Cody Barnett.

Transitioning from working in the high Arctic to the top of Mount Washington has had its fair share of similarities. My name is Hayden Pearson and I am the newest Weather Observer and Research Specialist working here on New England’s tallest peak.

I am incredibly excited for this opportunity to contribute to the work being done up here at the Observatory and get settled into life on the summit. I am originally from New England, growing up in southern Maine and spending much of that time exploring the outdoors of New England. Hiking through the White Mountains in the summer and skiing throughout the country in the winter developed a passion for the outdoors and occurrences within our natural world.

These experiences led me to getting a degree in Earth and Climate Sciences from the University of Maine before eventually moving to Tromsø, Norway to pursue a Master’s degree, studying how glaciers react to changing atmospheric and oceanic conditions in western Greenland and central Spitsbergen. Velocity and strain analysis were conducted across the glacial terminus and compared with meteorological conditions and the state of the sea ice while in place.

During both my undergrad and graduate degree programs, I was able to live and work in the Arctic, and I have noticed some stark similarities between living on the top of Mount Washington and the top of the world. The lack of trees and other tall vegetation here in the high alpine regions of the White Mountains reminds me of the Arctic tundra. While the weather can change just as fast at 70+ degrees north, the winds generally are not as high on a daily basis. Additionally, much like in the Arctic, on the summit when you get nice weather and sunny skies, you take advantage of them because they are few and far between!

Ski touring in Svalbard. Image taken by fellow researcher Joe Buckby.

The winter on top of the mountain is what really got me interested in applying for a position at Mount Washington Observatory. While this period of the year may seem cold and isolating for some, I find it is when the environment really comes alive. The snow and rime ice provide endless fascination as they are constantly changing and reforming based on the current meteorological conditions.

My first shift on the summit was a treat because we had several nice days allowing for an evening hike after dinner. We were also able to spend time looking for the visual land markers that let us determine the extent of visibility from the summit before inevitably getting socked in the fog again as the week progressed.

Hayden Pearson and Jackie Bellefontaine, both Weather Observers/Education Specialists (UMaine alums taking over the summit!).

Life at the Observatory has been taken up with a lot of trainings so far in order to learn all of the nuances of taking weather observations but also just making sure everything is running smoothly each day at the weather station. The highlights of the evening include sitting down for a family-style dinner and hearing about each person’s day before taking time to study the METAR booklet or challenging the NH State Parks staff to a round of Mario Kart.

For anyone who doesn’t know what METAR (METeorological Aerodrome Report) is, it is the standardized guide that observers follow for writing and coding all of the weather seen here on the summit. All of the current staff have been a huge help in learning how to translate the weather we document outside into METAR code, as it can be quite a challenge at times. I’m excited to see what future adventures arise from working here and to keep learning all the neat things that make this the “Home of the World’s Worst Weather”!

Hayden Pearson, Weather Observer & Education Specialist

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From the High Arctic to Mount Washington’s Alpine Tundra