Historical Posts Archives - Page 21 of 378 - Mount Washington Observatory

May 2019

Long Way From Home

2019-05-26 17:20:29.000 – Austin Patrick, Summit Intern

Coming from Ohio to New Hampshire to Mount Washington is an experience, and it’s one that should be shared! My name is Austin Patrick and I am one of the multiple interns for this summer. As I already said, I am from Ohio, near Mansfield, Ohio to be specific. I just graduated from Ohio University this May. I guess you can say I have friends in high places as both me and observer Ian Bailey are fellow alumni and have known each for two years being in Athens, Ohio together. You may be wondering how much it takes to adjust being from the eastern edge of the Midwest to moving to New England, luckily I am a Celtics and Red Sox fan since birth, so I feel like I will blend in just fine.

I graduated with a degree in meteorology, and my main focus is extreme weather and the communication of it. I use to be terrified of storms as a kid, but it grew into a passion as I got older. I have experienced many kinds of extreme weather events. I am currently focusing my studies in Emergency Management and I am in an online grad school program at Millersville University. From snowstorms in Ohio to storm chasing in the Central Plains, I’ve experienced many types of extreme weather in my life, but I’ve never experienced what Mount Washington has to offer. Mountain meteorology is a whole new ball game that I’m glad to be a rookie in. So far I’ve experienced 100+ wind gusts and have been adjusting well to the altitude.

I will be conducting research for Mount Washington known as the “Flux Tower Project” with fellow intern Ben Charles. You can find me in the weather room, museum, or giving a tour or two. These three months will be a wild ride and I can’t wait to experience it and better myself as a meteorologist.

Austin Patrick, Summit Intern

Atmospheric Long Waves and Short Waves; not the hand kind

2019-05-25 06:20:51.000 – Jay Broccolo, Weather Observer/Meteorologist

Often times in our forecasts there a couple terms we use that describe a wave pattern in the atmosphere. Normally, these terms are associated with low-pressure and high-pressure systems. We will say or write descriptions like; “the ridge of the high pressure will crest over the region early this morning” or “a shortwave trough will pass through the area and” bring some sort of weather phenomena to the region. What we are talking about are the different types of waves in the atmosphere. I grew up on the southern coast of Rhode Island and was fortunate enough to spend a lot of time at the beach and on the ocean, so I like to think about atmospheric waves as if they are ocean waves and waves that crash on to the beach. They are quite similar and quite different as well, they have different boundary conditions, forces acting on them, and are made of different substances, but both mediums behave the same and follow the same laws of physics.

There are two types of waves, generally speaking; long waves and short waves. Long waves are essentially the areas of high pressure and low pressure and short waves are waves that occur within a long wave feature. To relate to that, let think about the waves that crash onto the beach. Think of a long wave as a set of waves and the short waves to be the individual waves that make up the set (usually 3). Sometimes, there are not really ‘sets’ of waves per say, and they seem to be evenly spaced, but more often than not, they follow that general formation. I digress though; the shortwaves are riding the long wave in the same fashion that a shortwave in the atmosphere rides a longwave. Pictures always help so let us look at a map of the 500-mbar pressure level over the Continental US (see below).

This is a good example of some long wave features. Over the Mid-West, you can observe the ridge or crest of wave and the trough of said wave over New England. Each line you see on this map is called an Isobar, which is a line of constant pressure. The numbers along the isobars indicate the height of the 500-mbar pressure surface in decameters, so 588 decameters = 5880 meters. Another feature you may notice is that the wind barbs are mostly aligned with the isobars. The shortwaves are better seen closer to the surface (also seen below).

This map is the same as the previous one except it is centered over the Northeast and is at 850-mbars, about 4000 meters below the 500-mbar line. Here, the shortwave can be seen along the blue line, which was drawn by me and is oriented perpendicular to the shortwave along the isobars. The squiggle or kink in the isobars indicates the shortwave. It is ‘riding the larger, long wave and rotating around the center of the Low in a counter-clockwise fashion. These shortwaves usually are associated with areas of uplift and cause more intense weather within the system.

I hope this helps anyone who was unfamiliar with the terminology, if it did not, and or you have more questions, or if it sparked some new questions, reach out to us on social media and ask us. A good place to ask is on our FB lives where we can verbally discuss it and maybe show some live maps!

Smiles,

Jay Broccolo, Weather Observer/Meteorologist

Country Roads…Mount Washington Edition!

2019-05-20 11:25:35.000 – John King, Summit Intern

Country roads, take me home, to the place, I belong, the White Mountains! Howdy, my name is John King and I am the new summer summit intern. I am originally from Barkhamsted, Connecticut. I have spent the last 3 years at West Virginia University studying environmental and energy resource management. Before you ask, yes it is a state, and no it is not the Western part of Virginia. With grandparents doing 60 years of volunteering on the AMC, and parents who have strong passions for walking among the tall trees, I basically was born into the wild. In my free time I spend my days surfing, snowboarding, hiking and rock climbing. As an adrenaline seeker, I have spent countless hours checking surf reports, and reading radars for the best windows to make it outside. I have a very strong passion for wind and wind turbines, you could even say I’m a big fan. With the summer internship on Mount Washington conducting research on wind anemometers, I hope to make a direct connection when I head back to West Virginia in the fall.

When arriving to the base of the auto road on Wednesday, I was welcomed with snow on the summit and a welcoming staff. The cold temperatures were quite a shock considering West Virginia was 90 degrees when I had left in early May, but luckily I was well equipped thanks to the Obs. We stayed in the clouds that whole day and a majority of Thursday; later though, after dinner when staff was lounging around in our very homey common room, we could see light shining in and we all rushed up to the observation deck. I was welcomed to my first sunset on Mount Washington. The view was breath taking. I have climbed Mount Washington before but was welcomed with the typical foggy conditions. I was knocked back with how amazing my view is at the place I get to spend the next several months.

Weather has been up and down here since I’ve arrived. I have gone from twenty degree weather where I had the opportunity to deice in May to 50 degree temperatures accompanied by peak gusts of 80 mph! It is truly the “world’s worst weather” and I am very excited for all the experiences I will have from now till August.

The pictures below are from the first sunset I saw on May 16th, and my first time deicing on May 18th

John King, Summit Intern

Goodbye MWOBS!

2019-05-19 07:20:25.000 – Chloe Boehm, Summit Intern

As my second internship comes to a close, I have had a chance to think upon all the incredible experiences I have had in the past 9 months. When I started my fall internship last August, I had no idea the unbelievable journey I was about to partake in. I was excited to have the chance to live in a remote location while also getting a chance to learn more about forecasting and conduct some research. I didn’t know I was going to experience 171 mph winds, 6 foot drifts of snow across the summit, sunrises and sunsets above a sea of clouds, freezing rain that made me feel like a glazed donut, deicing in over 100 mph winds, and so much more. I can safely say I got a pretty good taste of why Mount Washington is called “Home of the World’s Worst Weather”

As I prepare to head down the mountain today, the weather has decided to give me quite the sendoff. Considering it is the middle of May, one would not expect for the temperatures to be in the mid 20s with snow actively falling from the sky and 50 mph winds, but if I have learned anything, you can expect the weather to do anything. I had a chance to deice this morning, probably my favorite task that we have to do, hitting large blocks of glaze ice off the top of the tower and watching them shatter as they hit the ground. If anything, with a long harsh winter that started in October and hasn’t really ended, this honestly seems like the most appropriate conditions for my last day.

Through my internship, I cannot thank the summit staff enough for answering my questions, welcoming me into their home, and teaching me so much. The opportunity to write daily weather forecasts, learn how to record weather observations, give tours, and conduct a multi-faceted research project was invaluable and helped me decide to pursue further education in the field. I could not have done any of that without the observers. It is sad to leave a wonderful environment with great people but exciting to be moving on to a new chapter of my life where I will hopefully use the skills I have developed during my time here. I wish all the best for Taylor, Tom, Ryan, the new intern John, and the new museum attendant Nikki, and hope that I will have a chance to visit them all and the summit sometime this summer. To close out my last blog post, I want to share one of my favorite pictures I took during my internship of sunrise while the summit was sandwiched between clouds.

Chloe Boehm, Summit Intern

Spring Cleaning and Spring Volunteers

2019-05-18 15:22:11.000 – Taylor Regan, Weather Observer/Research Specialist

Happy spring from the summit of Mount Washington! No, I know it’s not the first day of spring, but with nearly a week above freezing, things are finally starting to feel like we’re heading away from winter, if only a little behind the rest of the region. I wanted to take a few moments and talk about what spring looks like up here in the alpine zone, because there’s a lot going on!

It starts with the visitors. As the snows melt and conditions become slightly more hospitable, small rodents and birds come from all around to visit New England’s tallest peak. Juncos, voles, and all other manner of small creatures head for the summit. Bigger animals learn this behavior, and head up to visit too! Below is a picture of a pine marten that stopped by this week. Though this one looks cute and fluffy, these mustelids (of the weasel family) are voracious hunters, and have even been known to hunt rabbits! Yikes!

Figure 1. A marten on its best behavior grins at the prospect of summer!

These animals aren’t the only “creatures” to head to Mt. Washington as the weather turns more pleasant. With warmer and longer days, spring skiers arrive, hitting the slopes and the trails with enthusiasm, and seizing any opportunity to get in a few last runs before the sun melts away the winter snowpack.

Figure 2. Spring skiers, can you spot them?

There are other signs of spring too. With the Mt. Washington Auto Road finishing the clearing of the road, more work vehicles can make the trek to the summit, and get the building and surrounding areas ready for summer visitors. This includes the installation of many signs, such as the one below, informing visitors about the best ways to keep your car in good shape while driving the road!

Figure 3. Auto road signs.

The spring brings other signs of change as well. As the snowpack melts, lost things become found again, including this hat! (Image below) This spring alone, I’ve spotted two pairs of goggles, three hats, and several in-tact granola bars (in wrappers), just to name a few.

Figure 4. Anybody missing a hat?

Sadly, I’ve also spotted other things emerging from the snow as well. Wrappers, water bottles, coffee cups, orange peels. For a remote alpine peak, there sure is a lot of trash up here. The point here isn’t to shame those who litter… well, maybe a little bit. But, we understand it’s a windy place, and things often blow away and out of sight. It’s happened to us all!

Figure 5. Trash, trash everywhere.

No, instead, I just wanted to voice a proposition. This summit is a truly amazing place. It is home to a variety of wildlife and plant-life, some of which can only be found right here on the summit and surrounding peaks! These rare species have adapted to an incredibly harsh and unforgiving climate. They don’t need any more obstacles in their way, like coffee cups or discarded sandwich bags. Even orange peels or other discarded “compostable” items can be detrimental up here as well. Our annual average temperature is only 27 degrees, so things don’t decompose as fast as they would at lower elevations. This means that they either pollute the summit for a much longer time, or find their way into the diets of the birds and animals who visit the summit, which isn’t great for their digestive systems. So here’s what I’m asking: If you head up to the summit this year, and spot any trash, pick it up! If you already do, summit staff and the plants and animals up here thank you. If you don’t, consider it! We only have one planet, and it’s full of some pretty amazing things. We can’t stop the wind from blowing things away up here, but we can pick things up when we find them!

Plants and animals do all they can to survive up here. Take a look below, a lone krummholz (miniaturized tree due to growing in harsh conditions) grows under the shelter of a large rock. It’s the only one I could spot up here, meaning it somehow won the lottery of sheltered spots that allowed it to receive enough sunlight and moisture, yet be sheltered enough from the winds to simply survive!

Figure 6. A lone krummholz.

Another thing I should mention, when recovering trash, or just simply exploring the summit, please don’t step on the mosses, sedges, or grasses up here! Doing so can harm the fragile plant-life, and further damage the intricately balanced ecosystem up here. Instead, stick to trails, or if you must (i.e. to get a piece of trash that has blown off the trail), rock hop! It can be a fun way to explore, and you can feel better about leaving less of an impact on the environment!

Below is an image of some moss just beginning to awaken from a long winter’s “nap.” Sunlight was just reaching the area where the moss is sheltered, and created stark contrast against the rocks. Pretty cool, right?

Figure 7. A sleepy patch of moss, just beginning to awaken from a winter “nap.”

Soon alpine flowers will be in bloom, and the auto road and railway will be open, ferrying thousands of visitors to this special place. We hope you come visit, and learn about not only the unique weather, but also the unique plants and animals that call this place home. And remember, if you do visit, you can help keep this place as amazing as it is, simply by picking up any trash that you see! Thanks!

Taylor Regan, Weather Observer/Research Specialist

What is a Wintery Mix?

2019-05-14 15:44:36.000 – Ian Bailey, Weather Observer/Education Specialist

We’ve reached the time of year where you may often hear phrases such as “a mix of precipitation” or even “a wintery mix of precipitation” in the forecast product you peruse. And you may find yourself wondering what exactly that means. Why can’t meteorologist just tell you that it’s going to rain or snow? Well, unfortunately, it’s a bit more complicated than that. Allow me to explain.

Precipitation forecasting is one of the more difficult tasks a meteorologist faces for a number of reason. Current technology has its limits, where even the best models can’t exactly predict how much precipitation is likely to fall. It becomes increasingly difficult in transition seasons like spring and fall, where atmospheric temperature profiles can vary drastically, with different levels of the atmosphere above or below the freezing mark. This can allow for a variety of precipitation types to occur in any given event. So let’s take a look at those different precipitation types and the temperature profiles where they are most likely to occur.

On the colder end of the list, we have snow. Plain and simple type of winter precipitation. Snowfall occurs when the majority, if not the entirety, of the temperature profile remains below the freezing mark. Snowflakes form in the Dendritic Growth Zone (DGZ) aloft and fall through an atmosphere that doesn’t allow the flake to melt. So when you have consistent snowfall, you can pretty much bank on a frozen temperature profile, such as this one:

Then you get into the mix, including sleet and freezing rain. When you have sleet occurring, generally that means there is a section of the atmosphere aloft that is above freezing. Precipitation that falls into this region, solid or liquid, will warm up past the freezing point and for a brief period fall as rain. However, before it reaches the ground, it falls into a lower section of the atmosphere that is below freezing. And generally, this section is larger than the previous warmer one. Because of this, the droplet will freeze into a solid (or mostly solid) pellet before it hits the ground, classifying it as sleet.

With freezing rain, the opposite is true. Precipitation will fall into a large section of warm air aloft and melt or mold into a droplet. That droplet will fall through a freezing layer before reaching the ground, however the freezing layer is generally shallow or small. As a result, the droplet reaches a “supercooled” state, much like the droplets that form rime ice here on the summit. The liquid will fall at or just below freezing, and once it hits the ground it is finally cold enough to freeze and form ice. This is why freezing rain events can be so nasty, as much of everything coated by the rain in such an event is inevitably frozen in ice.

And lastly, we have rain; the warmer end of the precipitation list. As the opposite of snow, rain occurs when the temperature profile is mostly if not completely above freezing. Fairly straight forward, since temperatures never cross the freezing mark the raindrop never has the chance to freeze, or rather it is completely melted into rain before crashing into the surface.

These four precipitation types are the “standard” types we witness during these transition seasons. The problem is, because of the general chaotic nature of the atmosphere and given that temperature is constantly fluctuating, there are times where you wont have just one of these precipitation types alone. Especially when you have frontal passages! For example, a warm front moving into a region of sub-freezing air can force precipitation that began as snow to transition to sleet, then to freezing rain and then to rain as the incoming warmer air flushes out the profile.

This can happen quickly or slowly. You can progress through all four types, or only a couple. As a result, it can often be very difficult to define exactly what type or types of precipitation you can expect. And when this occurs, meteorologist are prone to generalizing to cover all their bases, and define the forecast precipitation as a mix. That’s where the vernacular comes from and what it’s getting at. Given the behavior of the temperature profile in the coming hours, it is possible for you to see a mixture of snow, sleet, freezing rain, and/or rain.

So hopefully this clears the air a bit! It’s something that happens here on the summit often, given how much higher up in the atmosphere we reside and how dynamic the temperature profile can be. So the next time you see it pop up in our forecast products, you’ll be able to understand what we’re really getting at!

Ian Bailey, Weather Observer/Education Specialist

Bring on the Snow!

2019-05-13 12:58:02.000 – Adam Gill, Weather Observer/IT Specialist

Once again there is snow in the forecast for the summit of Mount Washington. Snow storms like this one are always exciting up here, no matter the season, at least for me anyways. This storm has been fairly complicated to forecast for due to weak dynamics aloft. This is really to be expected at this time of the year as the jet stream weakens and there is not as big of a temperature gradient between the north pole and the equator to help increase baroclinicity (One of the major sources of energy for mid latitude cyclones).

Below is a map of the 250 millibar (roughly 35000 feet above sea level) winds and the strongest parts of the jet stream is well to our south and the wind velocities are barely over 100 mph. Being north of the jet stream means we are on the cold side of the storm and that is why we are expecting snow. The area of low pressure, which is right where the red L is on the map, is sitting just north of the jet max, which is giving it some upper level support. Due to the weak flow aloft, this area of low pressure will be sitting just off of the coast for a few days, with clouds and precipitation moving in off shore.

Near the coast, with on shore flow, temperatures will be warm enough for rain but near the foothills of the White Mountains, there will be enough cold air aloft to possibly see some snow flakes all the way down to valley level. Luckily at this time of the year, the ground is warm, which will prevent any snow accumulations below 2000 feet or so. We will need to see high snow fall rates to overcome the melting of the snow on the warm ground in the valleys.

Up here on the summit is a different story. Temperatures have been well below freezing most days so the ground is still frozen. We do not typically see the ground really start to warm up until later in May or early June so snow will accumulate up here, even in lower snow fall rates. With topographical enhancement, snowfall rates up here will be approaching an inch an hour for most of the night, so the possibility of high accumulation is there. Though a small change in the intensity of the storm or placement of the low will have a huge impact on the amount of snow we will see. The weak flow could mean the forecasted placement of the low could be 50 miles off, even if it is only 12 hours into the future.

Right now we are expecting right around a foot of snow up here by the time the snow ends early Wednesday morning. I personally am hoping we get a similar event to the May 14^th 2017 storm that dropped 33 inches of snow!

Adam Gill, Weather Observer/IT Specialist

Visiting Us Information

2019-05-06 08:44:16.000 – Chloe Boehm, Summit Intern

Rising temperatures and melting snow often marks the transition between a brutal winter season and a more favorable summer season where buildings on the summit have the opportunity to open to the public. Although preparations must still be completed before all services can be open, I wanted to take this opportunity to give people the resources they will need to plan a trip up to the summit this summer any hopefully answer questions concerning this transition season.

Mount Washington Observatory:

Our Weather Discovery Center in North Conway is open daily from 10am to 5pm regardless of the current conditions on the summit. Besides many interactive exhibits, Live from the Rockpile programs run at 11am and 2pm daily in the museum. Through this program people have the opportunity to connect up to the summit and talk to a weather observer to learn more about what it is like to live and work on the tallest mountain in the Northeast. Additional information can be found HERE. (link: https://www.mountwashington.org/visit-us/weather-discovery-center/)

Weather Station Tours are available to give people visiting the summit the chance to see inside the Mount Washington Observatory and learn about the work that we do, in addition to the instruments we use. They are available when the Mt. Washington State Park Sherman Adams Visitor Center is open to the public (see below). Additional information and registration (reservations are highly recommended) is available HERE. (link: https://www.mountwashington.org/visit-us/weather-station-tours.aspx )

Extreme Mount Washington (summit museum) is located inside the Mt. Washington State Park Sherman Adams Visitor Center and has exhibits about the extreme weather the summit faces as well as some history about the Observatory, and the local flora and fauna. Additional information is located HERE. (link: https://www.mountwashington.org/visit-us/extreme-mount-washington.aspx)

Mount Washington State Park:

Mt. Washington State Park, Sherman Adams Summit Building, Concession, and Tip Top Historic Site operating hours are available HERE. (link: https://www.nhstateparks.org/visit/state-parks/mt-washington-state-park) Hours are subject to change, so please check their page and/or contact them directly for their most current information.

Mt. Washington Auto Road:

Although the road is not open quite yet, the Mt. Washington Auto Road is hard at work to get the road in shape for summer travel as soon as possible. Information for the Mt. Washington Road can be found on their website HERE (link: https://mtwashingtonautoroad.com/) and their schedule of operations is available HERE. (link: https://mtwashingtonautoroad.com/hours-dates-of-operation?page=hours-dates-of-operation) Hours 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 (link: https://www.thecog.com/) and their schedule of operations is available HERE. (link: https://www.thecog.com/schedule-tickets/) 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 Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) network of high mountain huts is available HERE (link: https://www.outdoors.org/lodging-camping/huts/). Information about the Randolph Mountain Club (RMC) network of high mountain huts is available HERE. (link: http://www.randolphmountainclub.org/sheltersinfo/aboutourshelters.html)

Trail Conditions:

Trail conditions can be found HERE (link:https://www.outdoors.org/outdoor-activities/backcountry-weather) or HERE. (link: https://www.newenglandtrailconditions.com/nh/) Information about the ravines and ski conditions can be found on the Mount Washington Avalanche Center page HERE. (link: https://www.mountwashingtonavalanchecenter.org/)

Weather:

Current weather conditions for the summit can be found HERE. (link: https://www.mountwashington.org/experience-the-weather/current-summit-conditions.aspx) Current conditions from our mesonet can be found HERE. (link: https://www.mountwashington.org/experience-the-weather/mount-washington-regional-mesonet.aspx) Historical data can be found HERE (link: https://www.mountwashington.org/experience-the-weather/mount-washington-weather-archives/) (useful to figure out what’s typical for a given time period). Our 48 hour Higher Summits Forecast is updated daily by 5am and 5pm and is available HERE. (https://www.mountwashington.org/experience-the-weather/higher-summit-forecast.aspx) Note: we do not provide extended or personalized forecasts; to 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 24-36 hour recreational forecasts available HERE. (link: https://www.weather.gov/gyx/AllLocationsForecast) 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 lower your chances of being caught off guard.

Make sure to check these links often as conditions rapidly change on all elevations of the mountain and may result in some services needing to adjust their hours. We look forward to seeing you on the summit this summer!

Chloe Boehm, Summit Intern

Turning 30 on Mount Washington!

2019-04-30 20:24:01.000 – Ian Bailey, Weather Observer/Education Specialist

Last Wednesday I hit a milestone in my life. On the way up to the summit, I turned 30 years old! Admittedly, I was a little sad that I wouldn’t be at home with my family to celebrate surviving 30 trips around the sun. Fortunately, the Mountain had some awesome presents to give me! And I am very grateful for the experiences I had as a result.

This has been my first winter season here on the summit. And there have been plenty of adventures throughout the last 7 months! But we’ve finally reached the time of year for the “ice wall picture”, with the Auto Road crews working on clearing the road. They had exposed the road on a section of Cragway, digging down through 20+ feet of snow and ice to get back to the ground. So on our way up for shift change, right after I crossed over into my 30’s, we stopped to take a picture in front of the wall! Check it out! It’s so awesome!

So we put chains on the truck and van and continued on our way to the summit. And on the way up, I was thinking on how long it had been since I had seen snowfall on my birthday. It had been at least a decade, and with temperatures having been warmer than average on the summit lately, I figured it would be a bit more time before I got to see it happen again. However, the mountain had other plans! As soon as we arrived on the summit, after days without snow on the top, it started snowing! And it kept snowing for the rest of the day! I was so excited, and I ran up to take another photo for proof!

So by the end of the day, I was pretty happy! I had 2 awesome experiences already, and I was getting birthday wishes from all my friends and my family. What I didn’t expect was that my birthday “celebration” would carry over into the next day, as the Mountain had 1 more gift to give me.

Since I’ve been back on the summit, we’ve had plenty of days of Undercast, with a sea of clouds forming beneath the summit level. But we haven’t had a day where the surface was completely obscured in a full 360º circle. So imagine my surprise when I woke up the next morning to start taking obs and saw this:

Fun Fact: The gentleman at the Summit Sign was yodeling when I came up lol

So after I took the obs, I went back to the top of the tower and stayed for a while, taking in the amazing view and thinking about how my life has lead me to this point. It has been a wild ride, but I am so thankful that I finally ended up working here and thankful to all the people who helped me get here. Also thank you to my fellow coworkers, Observatory members and followers for the happy birthday wishes! It was a great way to turn 30, and I truly appreciate your kind thoughts!

And finally, thank you Mount Washington for the awesome birthday presents! They are memories that I’ll carry with me forever!

Ian Bailey, Weather Observer/Education Specialist

Back to Truck and Van Season

2019-04-26 12:30:33.000 – Adam Gill, Weather Observer/IT Specialist

Winter seems like it has come to a fairly abrupt end up here on the Rockpile this year which is quite the difference from the previous few years. We went from having plenty of snow on the mountain from top to bottom taking the snow cat from the base up to just using the truck and van the whole way in only a matter of weeks. All this warm weather and rain melted the snow fast and allowed for the Auto road to make significant progress on clearing the road. There was a little bit of ice just above tree line that we had to put chains on for but other than that, it was a smooth ride up the mountain! Cragway corner was also cleared so we got to do our annual photo at the snow wall this year. It was a little shorter than previous years but that could have been due to how much snow melted with the rain and heat last week.

Our 4X4 van sitting at Cragway Corner where the snow wall is usually the deepest

As much as I like to take the snow cat, by the end of the season it is nice to be able to get up and down the mountain in a short period of time. Now that the road is clear and the ground warming up, even if we get more snow, we will be able to plow through it so the snow cat season is officially over! The only reason we may have to use it is in the off chance that we get another snowstorm like we did for Mother’s day 2 years ago where we got over 30 inches of snow in a little over 24 hours.

Now winter is not over yet even though snow cat season is over for the year. The summit usually will receive snow on a regular basis all the way into June. The last several years have experienced large snow storms that bring a foot plus of snow in the late season. Taking a look ahead, we are in a stormy weather pattern with many quick moving storms expected to move through over the next few weeks. This storm coming in will have mostly rain associated with it as warm air is pumped into the region through the low level jet. It is fairly intense for this time of year with its central pressure forecasted to fall down to around 985 millibars. Cold air wrapping around the back of the low will bring in some much colder air with temperatures falling all the way down to the single digits above tree line. There will be enough moisture to support snow but accumulations are not expected to be great.

Looking further ahead, it is looking like our spring/summer like weather we have been seeing in the mountains will be coming to an end. Below is the European models outlook for the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). This indicates that it will go negative for the last few days in April and first week or so of May. When the NAO is negative, blocking high pressure exist up near Greenland and that will force air south out of the Hudson Bay area so usually when the NAO is negative, New England sees colder than average temperatures. It is not guaranteed but the probability of cold air and even snow is possible. In order to get snow we will need a storm to come through that will bring precipitation and clouds. The sun is strong enough at this time of year to really warm things up if there are no clouds, even if we have cold northwest flow out of Canada.

The 10 day forecast for the NAO. When the NAO is negative, there exist a greater probability of seeing below average temperatures in New England

We are getting to the point of the year where it takes an exceptional weather event to get accumulating snow in the valleys but it is possible. Over the higher terrain it still does not take much to produce wintery conditions until early June, though any snow and rime that we do see will melt the next sunny day we get.