So Long Mount Washington Observatory!

2020-06-22 15:38:58.000 – Ian Bailey, Weather Observer/Education Specialist

It’s crazy to think that it has been 2 years since I returned to the Observatory as an Education Specialist. What’s even crazier, however, is that this will be the last blog post I ever write as an Observer. This Wednesday, I will be heading down on Shift Change for the last time, and bringing my time at the Obs to a close.

I have mixed emotions about leaving for sure. While there have been both highs and lows to my career as an Observer, I feel like I have learned and grown quite a lot since my first day back. I’ve seen and experienced weather phenomena, both extreme and serene, that I may never get to experience again in my life. Those are memories that I will carry with me forever. That being said, I am starting down a new path that should be full of adventures and new experiences too! If you haven’t heard, my wife Kryssi and I just got married! Check out this photo from our wedding! I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with her, and together we are looking forward to new beginnings, new careers, and eventually, starting a new family!

 

I’ve taken a lot of time this past shift to reflect on my 2.3 years here. And I wanted to share with you all some of my favorite memories and experiences from working up on the summit. Of course, you get to see lots of the crazy weather up here. But when you have a good crew, you all work together, support each other and build some amazing memories together. So let me show you some of my favorite memories from my time here, both weather related and from my crew!

Jumping back to 2015, when I first started as an intern. I have to say this was probably my favorite time up here, as everything was fresh, new and exciting! My Father and I hiked to the Summit several months before to check it out, tour the Obs and see what it was like working as a Meteorologist on top of a mountain. I was hooked by the end of my tour, and was incredibly excited to come back as an intern. I had an amazing crew too! With Kaitlyn O’Brien as my shift leader, Michael Dorfman as our IT Specialist, and Elena Weinberg as my fellow intern, each day was a blast! Everybody meshed well together, and the Observers went out of their way to make us feel welcome and comfortable, while showing us everything there was to know about running this mountaintop weather station. The pinnacle of it all, though, was the first time I saw the Aurora Borealis!

 

I remember being woken up by Ryan Knapp, the Night Observer, saying that we needed to get upstairs quick! We all got dressed and sprinted outside, and let Ryan take these long-exposure photos of us. In reality, you could barely see anything, even after your night vision had adjusted. But with the long-exposure, you could clearly see the beautiful colors, pillars and curtains of the Aurora sounding us. It was a powerful, moving moment that still gives me chills thinking about to this day. I even stepped away and took a moment to spread some of my Uncle’s ashes, so that he too could enjoy witnessing this beautiful phenomenon with us in this incredible place. So as a result of all the exciting, new experiences, crazy weather, themed dinner nights with the State Park crew, and so much more, I can safely say those 3 months were some of the best times of my life.

When I came back in 2018, a lot had changed. My previous crew had all moved on to new careers, and I was set to work with a brand new group with loads of new responsibilities. It was a TON to take in all at once. Learning how to code observations and account for every, single, possible weather feature we could observe, all while trying to learn how to deliver educational content and create new programs as the Education Specialist proved to be a bit overwhelming. Fortunately, I was working with this gentleman here:

 

Chris Hohman was hired on as a new Night Observer at the same time as I was. He’s an incredibly intelligent and dedicated Meteorologist. And he has an amazing personality as well! He can easily make you laugh and feel comfortable in pretty much any situation. And he’s one of the most empathetic men I know. He and I were a team, tackling learning the METAR code while supporting each other as we navigated our new Observer roles. In good times and bad, he had my back and I had his. We’d play video games together after hours, and he hands down played the funniest character in the Dungeons and Dragons game I ran for our crew. And his random dinner questions, such as “If you could be any kind of tree, what would you be and why”, always made for a great laugh and solid companionship for our crew each night. When he left the Observatory in 2019, there was a notable hole and you could tell he was heavily missed. But he and I made it a point to hang out with each other as much as possible in our off weeks. I can easily say that he has been my best friend (aside from Kryssi) during my time here in New England. And my times with him up here are some of my favorite memories as well.

2018 had some wonderful weather surprises for us. Those of you who know me, know that I have a deep love for lenticular clouds. So I have been quite fortunate to work at a place that gets to experience some very impressive “Lentis”. I’d have to say my 2 favorite lenti events came between 2018 and 2019, when I got these 2 shots down below:

 

 

And of course, we made the most of the holidays we were on the summit for. Our crew was up for both Halloween and Thanksgiving that year. And my family and I take the holiday’s we celebrate seriously back home. They are usually a wonderful time for everyone to come together, celebrate the holiday and enjoy visiting with each other. So I wanted to bring some of that up to the summit, since I couldn’t be at home with them. Not to toot my own horn, but I consider myself to be a pretty excellent pumpkin carver! So I went out, bought a bunch of pumpkins for the crew, and brought them up so we could all carve together! For mine, I free handed this imitation of a Mt. Washington Trail Sign:

 

The following month for Thanksgiving, Taylor Regan who was an Observer on the other shift joined our crew for the holiday. Of course, each of us spent a considerable amount of the day preparing dishes each of our families would serve for dinner. But it was also 31º below 0 that day! So Taylor and I took some time to do some “cold weather experiments”. And my favorite, by far, was what we called the “Banana Hammer” experiment. We tossed a banana outside into a nearby snow drift, and let it sit outside in the freezing cold for about an hour. When we went back outside to check it out, it was so completely frozen solid, that we could use it like a hammer to drive a nail into a 2X4 piece of wood. It was insane! We also took a small skillet outside, left it out there for a while and then used it to flash-freeze scramble some eggs. They didn’t cook completely before they froze (took about 2 minutes), but they did scramble a little bit in the incredible cold:

 

The latter half of the winter season of 2018-2019, we saw some more incredible winter weather conditions. Our crew experienced a 139 mph wind event, while the other crew saw a 171 mph event! I got to climb around on some of the deepest snow drifts I had ever seen at that point, with blisteringly cold temperature regularly under 20º below. And on calmer days, I got to see some amazing undercast clouds like these:

 

 

Throughout 2019 I felt like I hit my groove as an Education Observer. I loved developing and delivering content, and broadcasting on Facebook Lives and Streamable Learning Platforms as well. It was something I looked forward to each week, and I put a lot of heart and effort into the programs I worked on. So if you were able to join us for any educational content, be it Facebook Lives, Home of the World’s Worst Weather Live, Day Trips, Edutrips, etc. I truly hope you enjoyed the program as much as I enjoyed delivering it! And please, continue to tune in and participate, as the Observatory has much to teach and offer you if you are looking for it!

I’d have to say my one of my favorite memories from 2019-2020 was when members of the NWS came up to the summit following the AMS Conference in Boston. Jon Powers, one of the awesome Snowcat drivers, managed to get their crew up to the summit safely in some impressive wind speeds. And while they were here, winds started to gust upwards of 120 mph. We safely inched our way out on to the deck, just past the A-Frame, so they could experience the insanity a little bit. And with a North wind, it was like the air was crashing down on the deck in front of us, and blasting past us with incredible force. I sat on the wooden beam next to the Cosmo Shack to “catch” people inching their way out. And it was such a huge rush letting that air blast into me. But what was even better was when we took the crew up to the top of the tower, to let those who were interested try to stand exposed in those crazy winds. Of course, myself and several other crew members were right there to keep everyone safe. And once they all had a turn, I took a turn myself and had this awesome picture taken:

 

Lots of wonderful memories. So this has been another long post, as I’ve come to be known for in my time here. And frankly, I could go longer as there is so much wonder and so many amazing experiences the Obs has to offer that I’ve had the priviledge to enjoy. I am truly grateful for my time as an Observer, and I feel as if I’ve learned so much and grown as well. Thank you to the Observatory staff, for hiring me back and allowing me to work and experience this crazy place for the last 2 years. I am extremely thankful for this opportunity, and will take everything you’ve shown and given me forward into the next phase of my life. Thank you to all the incredible volunteers I’ve had the pleasure living and working with during my time here. The hard work and effort you put into this organization, the kindness and company you’ve brought to the summit, and my time spent with you all; all of it has been truly wonderful. I certainly will miss you, and hope we can stay in touch on social media, letters, etc! To the New Hampshire State Parks staff, thank you to each and every one of you for being so welcoming, for being helpful on all fronts, and inclusive for all these years. You’ve all been so easy to chat with, share stories with, and those times with the themed dinners during my internship are some of my happiest memories from here. To the interns who have come and gone during my time as an Observer, thank you all for being wonderful additions to our crew and for all of your hard work on your research, operations, and for all of your enthusiasm. I hope you enjoyed your time on the summit with us, and that your experiences from here have helped carry you forward in your education and careers! Never be afraid to reach out to me, and I will gladly chat with you and help you with anything you need if I can! And for those specifically who were on my crew, if you ever need your Dungeons and Dragons character sheets, just let me know! ;)

And finally, the biggest thank you to my family and friends for all of your support over these years. I know it has been difficult with us being so far away. And for Kryssi, my being gone every other week was challenging. All of you have been my support, rooting me on, following my education work, checking in to see how we are doing, and many, many other things that would take too long to list out. Please know that your encouragement, in all forms, has been a strength that I have relied upon greatly. Words can’t express how much it has all meant to me, and I hope to return that strength, in all forms, to you all going forward. Thank you for supporting me in pursuing my dream job, and I can’t wait to show you all what’s next in the coming days.

It has been a wild ride everyone! I wish you all the best going forward. Thank you all so much, and if you see me out there, never be afraid to say hi! I’ll be looking forward to it!

 

Ian Bailey, Weather Observer/Education Specialist

Whats With The Warm Record Breaking May Temperatures?

2020-06-08 18:40:15.000 – Jay Broccolo, Weather Observer/Meteorologist

Often times, the summit is unaffected by daytime heating processes due to the positioning of the boundary layer with respect to the summit.  Just in case you were wondering what the boundary layer is, the atmospheric boundary layer is the region of the lower troposphere that is heavily influenced by the surface of the Earth.  The surface holds heat, radiation and moisture, and it also causes friction with any moving air mass.  Flow within the boundary layer tends to be relatively turbulent compared to the statically stable layer of air or a temperature inversion.  Sometimes you may even be able to spot a temperature inversion on our current summits page!

When the summit broke some of its daily and a monthly record, the Boundary Layer was likely above the summit, which allowed the summit to take advantage of diurnal heating with all that plentiful sunshine and lack of wind.  This likely nudged the temperature up a few degrees, but was not the dominant factor.  The big factor for the unseasonably warm and nice weather was actually the synoptic pattern that brought warm Gulf of Mexico and Continental air masses to the Northeast over several days.  Before we get into that though, look at the records that were set (Thanks to Dr. Eric Kelsey for the stats).

High temperatures:

26^th: 62°F (daily record; old record 59°F)

27^th: 66°F (daily record, tied May monthly record; old daily record 63°F)

28^th: 62°F (no records set; significantly more clouds and fog, but still warm)

Also notable is that the minimum temperature on the 27^th was a toasty 56°F, which set a new monthly record high minimum temperature (previous record 53°F).  This makes the daily mean temperature of 61°F, which broke the previous warmest daily mean temperature for the month of May of 58.5°F on the 22^nd of May, 1977 (in other words, Wednesday was the warmest May day on record).  The 61°F is also just the 77^th time since the 1^st of Jan, 1935 that the summit has had a daily mean temperature ≥ 61°F (a less an once per year occurrence, all others occurring June – Sept).

Okay, back to the synoptic pattern, because that is OBVIOUSLY what everyone is interested in. There is a lot of content in these charts, but the folks at NCEP with NOAA do far too good of a job and they are the perfect tools.  Without any further ado, I present, pretty weather pictures!

May 25th 00z

May 26th 00z

 

Beginning on the 25^th and progressing through to the 28^th of May, notice the trough dip into the Gulf of Mexico and the ridge expand and reach into Canada as they move east.  These upper level features have a significant effect on the surface.  The low was able to entrain a great deal of moisture and heat from the Gulf as its counterclockwise rotation hurled the warmer and humid air mass north and aloft to be caught by the clockwise rotation of the ridge to the east.  You can correlate the orange of the Maximum Temperature map to that of the contour lines of the 500 mb Height map. 

Another feature that is worth mentioning is all the precipitation that occurred between the trough and the ridge.  As the warm and humid rising air mass from the trough collides with descending cooler and drier air mass from the ridge, the two air masses mix and some of that moisture mixes out and condenses to fall as rain.  In doing so, a portion of the heat trapped in the water vapor is released into the atmosphere as it changes phases to water.  This process, known as latent heat release, likely added a bit of heat as well. 

And there you have it.  There is certainly more to the whole story but this discussion tapped into a few of the main reasons why the summit experienced such a warm spell so early in the season.  It’s not often to see a trough dip so far south and a ridge so far north, and certainly even rarer to see them both happen at the same time so late into the year.  Normally mid-latitude wave features like those occur during the winter and not a few weeks before summer.

 If you care to check out the full version of these plots including a surface synoptic map, check out https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/dailywxmap/

Jay Broccolo, Weather Observer/Meteorologist

Downbursts! Macro and Micro

2020-05-25 16:44:56.000 – AJ Grimes, Weather Observer

To complement Ian’s latest presentation on devastating circular winds (tornados), this post will investigate a different type of damaging wind that can be present in a thunderstorm – downbursts, or straight-line winds. Downbursts are strong winds created by air falling rapidly to the ground and spreading outward from the point of contact. The winds can be damaging, with some microbursts reaching speeds of over 100 mph (about the speed of an EF1 tornado) and other downbursts reaching 150 mph or more. Though people often think about wind damage associated with tornados, downbursts are more common, and they pose a significant threat to aircraft, boats, and personal property. We have even seen downbursts here on the summit!

 

A downburst recorded on the Observatory’s Hays chart, showing the sudden spike in wind speed.

There are two main types of downbursts: microbursts and macrobursts. Microbursts are up to 2.5 miles in diameter, while macrobursts affect an area larger than 2.5 miles. There are also two main types of microbursts: wet and dry. Wet microbursts are more common in places like the Southeast and are associated with heavy precipitation in the downburst. Dry microbursts, more common in the midwestern and western United States, occur without appreciable precipitation in the downburst. The type of microburst depends on the atmospheric conditions available. When precipitation evaporates, melts, or sublimes (converts directly from ice to water vapor) within a storm cloud, it cools the air, making it denser and encouraging it to sink. Within a thunderstorm, warm updrafts rise while relatively cooler air will fall, and a large change in temperature as the air descends will cause it to fall faster. Wet microbursts are also fueled by something called precipitation loading, which occurs when downward movement of water and/or ice that had been held aloft in the updraft also drags air down quickly as it falls. There can also be hybrid microbursts, that possess features of both wet and dry microbursts. Microburst type will depend on the relative contributions of formative factors, including the pulling in of dry air, precipitation loading, cooling beneath the thunderstorm, and sublimation.

 

Damage from a macroburst in MN. Photo by Stacy Hopke of the Burnett County Sheriff Department, retrieved from NOAA.

The damage of straight-line wind is often mistaken for tornadic activity, though careful inspection will show damage spread out from where the air dropped, with directional airflow characteristic of straight-line (and not rotational) winds. However, small but even more powerful wind gusts within microbursts may also occur. These “burst swaths” are only 50-150 yards in length, but are capable of causing damage similar to that of a tornado.

Downbursts are another good reason to seek shelter and protect yourself when a severe thunderstorm is in your area. To learn more about different types of severe storms and precipitation, or to see Ian’s presentation focusing on tornados, head to our Virtual Classroom page at mountwashington.org/classroom and stay safe!

AJ Grimes, Weather Observer

Something’s Abuzz…Lightning Safety!

2020-05-11 14:41:44.000 – AJ Grimes, Weather Observer

For this week’s observer post, I wanted to continue the theme of this week’s virtual classroom topic – lightning and lightning safety. This topic warrants some extra attention because of how dangerous lightning is, and how crucial it is to understand what to do (and what not to do) when lightning is nearby. Weather observers will go outside into some pretty crazy conditions to do our hourly readings, but we will never go out if there is a thunderstorm near the summit due to the danger of lightning.

Lightning is an immense electrical discharge ranging from 100 million to 1 billion volts delivered over a few milliseconds. Within just a few millionths of a second, it heats the surrounding air to about 50,000⁰F – about five times hotter than the surface of the sun. Though the majority of people struck by lightning survive, they may suffer significant and lifelong disability. Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do to stay safe during a thunderstorm.

 

Lightning bolts over Wildcat B.

Lightning can strike 10-12 miles from its parent thunderstorm – and strikes have even been documented more than 25 miles away. Since thunder is only heard for about 10 miles, you should seek a safe shelter as soon as you hear it, and wait about 30 minutes after the last rumble before you head out. A safe shelter is an enclosed building with plumbing and electricity or a metal-topped vehicle with the windows rolled up. A building’s plumbing and electrical wiring are excellent conductors, so they will conduct the electricity to the ground if the structure itself is struck. Small and less robust buildings or those with open sides, like dugouts, porches or sheds, or vehicles like convertibles or golf carts do not offer adequate protection.

 

Lightning to the southeast, with the Stage Office and Tip Top House in the foreground.

Once you’re inside, there are still steps to take to be sure you’re safe. After all, the plumbing and electrical wiring can also conduct the charge to you! So, while you can use a cell phone that is not plugged in, anything plugged into electrical outlets can conduct the charge. Surge protectors do not provide adequate protection from the magnitude of surge from a lightning strike, so while you can protect electronics by unplugging them before a storm, it’s best not to risk yourself once there’s lightning in the area. Also keep clear of water: Electricity travels well in water, whether you are swimming outside or taking a bath inside, or even doing dishes or laundry.

If you can’t get indoors, there are still some things you can do to lower your risk. Electricity takes the “easiest” path as it travels, and the shorter paths are easier. So, it’s safer to be lower (and not to be on hills, mountaintops, and ridges where you are higher up and the path to you is shorter). Keep clear of things that conduct electricity like water, and do not take cover under large trees, rocky outcroppings, or metal structures. Being near a tall object (like under a tree) can cause a “side splash” whereby lightning hits the tree, then jumps to the person next to it for the rest of the journey to the ground.

 

An impressive thunderstorm to the northwest over Vermont.

Lightning makes a thunderstorm an awe-inspiring event to watch, but it is also extremely dangerous. We take lightning safety seriously at the Observatory and you should too. For more information on the creation of lightning and lightning safety, check out Ian’s excellent presentation on our Facebook page or on our Virtual Classroom page at mountwashington.org/classroom

AJ Grimes, Weather Observer

Baking Up a Storm on the Summit

2020-04-27 14:06:36.000 – AJ Grimes, Weather Observer

During our week-long shifts on the summit, cooking duties are usually handled by a pair of volunteers that join us for the week and provide us with amazing home-cooked meals. However, there are times of the year without volunteers, and then it’s up to the observers and interns to get brave in the kitchen and do the cooking ourselves. Fortunately, all of us enjoy cooking, and the crew on each shift works together to make a complete meal each night. My personal contribution is often to make the desserts – even off the summit it’s one of my favorite things to do. However, it can be a little tricky on the summit getting recipes to turn out just right if you don’t plan for some adjustments. High altitude baking is anything over 3,000 feet above sea level, and at our lofty 6,288 feet, some of our baked treats could fall flat if we made them the same way as at sea level. So how is cooking affected, and how do we still bake delicious creations that stay fluffy in the clouds?

 

Double chocolate sour cream cupcakes.

There are two main changes that affect baking as altitude increases. First the air pressure is lower. As a result, dough rises more quickly – and it’s working against less pressure to puff up. Usually, as the dough is rising, it’s also cooking at the right rate to balance the rise so that it’s setting as it cooks, and that expansion is internally supposed. Second, along with lower pressure, it’s much drier up here, so recipes might dry out too quickly. What we don’t want is for dough (like cake or bread) to expand too quickly, make large or uneven air pockets, cook unevenly, dry out, or deflate. Depending on the recipe and its mixture of flour, leavening agent (baking soda, baking powder, or yeast – whatever’s making it rise), fat, and liquid, we may have to make some adjustments ensure a delicious recipe at sea level comes out right on the mountaintop.

 

Pecan pies baked for Thanksgiving – one with chocolate chips mixed in, one without.

First, we have to heat things up. If we increase the oven temperature by 15-20⁰F, it’ll help the baked goods set faster and cook before drying out. As a result, we also have to reduce baking time (to ballpark, about 5-8 minutes per 30 minutes of baking time). Sugar can be decreased by about 1 tablespoon per cup to keep the structure of the dough strong – less is needed with the evaporating liquid. We can also compensate by adding a few extra tablespoons of liquid (water, oil, eggs, or milk, depending on the recipe) and two tablespoons or so of flour to help strengthen the dough.

 

Banana chocolate chip cake with cream cheese frosting.

Finally, to tamp down the rise a bit, we could reduce the amount of baking powder, baking soda, or yeast since less is needed. Of course, these all require a bit of trial and error before getting a feel for which changes you should be making. This just means that there are more baking adventures to come on the summit of Mount Washington!

AJ Grimes, Weather Observer