Historical Posts Archives - Page 26 of 378 - Mount Washington Observatory

January 2019

Update on this weekend’s Winter Storm!

2019-01-17 17:33:43.000 – Ian Bailey, Weather Observer/Education Specialist

On Tuesday, Observer Tom Padham wrote about the potential for an impressive winter storm for the Northeast this weekend. Like he said in his blog, we have been following the evolution of the storm so far, as well as what different weather models are indicating for the weekend ahead. Now that we are inside an appropriate 72-hour forecast window, I’d like to update you on how both the atmosphere and the storm of interest have progressed since the last post, and start to give a more concrete forecast for this approaching storm.

To start off the weekend, an upper-level disturbance associated with a shortwave jet stream feature will allow a low pressure system from the South-Central Plains to be drawn rapidly towards the Eastern seaboard. Given the relative West-to-East flow of the lower levels of the atmosphere, it is likely that this low will track a decent distance off shore, before banking left and running a loose parallel to the coast.

So while the low will not directly impact New England at its maturity, it will bring in a loose plume of moisture from down near the gulf. As this moisture propagates on the backside of the low headed North, it will inevitably produce loose and light bands of snow showers across the Northern part New Hampshire throughout the day on Friday. Accumulation totals across the regions have decreased a bit since Tuesday, and at present only a trace to 1 inch seems possible from these snow bands, Think of it as a very light taste of what’s supposed to come later in the weekend, which you can see forming over Northern Texas in the image below from the NAM 3K model.

NAM 3k model showing the locations of the Friday and Saturday/Sunday lows. Image courtesy of Tropical Tidbits.

So what happens next and what leads to this big storm headed our way? As it stands, it appears the dispersed energy from a strong low pressure system in the Northwest part of the country will reorganize near the Eastern Colorado border. A steep upper level ridge will build just West of the Rockies, which will allow for strong North-to-South flow that will transport that dispersed energy into the Southern Plains. This in turn will coagulate into a strong Jet Streak, or a high-velocity pocket of air in the upper levels of the atmosphere that generally leads to atmospheric disturbances and the instability necessary to build low pressure systems and develop storms. You can see this strong Jet Streak in the image below, and I’ve also circled where the low is likely to form and build following cyclogenesis on Saturday morning.

NAM model showing the locations of the Jet Streak and low formation. Image courtesy of Twisterdata.

Throughout this entire overnight process, the low is gathering warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico to fuel itself before its inevitable march Eastward. And with a number of blocking high pressures to the East and North, the low will continue to remain within striking distance of the Gulf for a significant period. The entire time, the system will be taking in and distributing moisture, building what will likely become a massive moisture plume by the end of the day on Saturday. Below is a picture from the ECMWF model runs of the low pressure on Saturday morning and Saturday evening for comparison.

ECMWF model showing a moisture comparison between Saturday morning and evening. Image courtesy of Tropical Tidbits.

You may notice that on the evening ECMWF run, the moisture plume has extended to reach the majority of New England. It’s truly impressive that while the center of the system remains in the Mid Atlantic, it has gathered and dispersed enough moisture that it is forecasted to precipitate as far away as Maine at the same time. And at this point, the low is only beginning to reach its point of maturity.

Overnight Saturday and into Sunday, the low will continue to propagate East, dumping large amounts of rain and snow as it moves. After crossing over the Appalachians and reaching the waters of the East coast, the low will ingest more available moisture and reach its peak intensity. And after sunrise on Sunday morning, the center of the low will crash into New England proper, producing some impressive rain and snowfall totals. By the end of the day on Sunday, 1.5 to 2.5 inches of a wintery mix of precipitation could fall across the Southern portions of New England, an approximately 16 inches of snow across the Northern portion where temperatures will likely remain at or below freezing. At the summit, we are even expecting snowfall totals near 20 inches!

ECMWF model showing rain and snowfall totals for Sunday Morning. Image courtesy of Tropical Tidbits.

This low will be a classic Miller Type B Nor’easter. Once these lows cross over the Appalachians and intensify, they are well known for producing a considerable amount of precipitation before they depart offshore. Additionally, with their tight pressure and temperature gradients, wind speeds will be on the rise as well. I’d expect no more than 15 to 20 mph near surface levels, particularly on Sunday night in Monday as the storm moves off. But on the summit, we could see winds ramping up into the 100 mph range as the low centers in.

Definition and Progression of a Miller Type B Nor’easter. Image courtesy of the National Weather Service.

Additionally, if we look just outside the forecast window in MLK Day, temperatures are likely to plummet following the low’s associated cold front. Subzero temperatures are not out of the question for most of New England, including New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut. So it certainly has the potential to be a frigid, blustery holiday.

It certainly is a lot to take in. But the takeaway here is that the models agree with the strong potential for a Nor’easter to blast the coast by the end of this weekend. States further South can likely expect heavy amounts of rain and wintery mixes in precipitation, while the Northern states are in for a considerable amount of snow. And in this winter storm’s wake, a brief period of elevated winds and frigid temperatures would be expected; even more so here on the summit of Mount Washington.

Model agreement is high and consistent, NWS offices are putting out Winter Storm Advisories, Watches and Warnings, and with each passing day the atmospheric structure proves to be more and more conducive for a big storm. We will continue to monitor the storm’s progress over the course of the weekend, and will certainly be outside Sunday morning for our Facebook Live update to check it out! It looks like it’s going to be quite exciting, so make sure to stayed tuned in the coming days as we track this impending Nor’easter! And be sure to check out our forecast products on our website for more information!

Ian Bailey, Weather Observer/Education Specialist

Potential Weekend Storm

2019-01-15 13:12:38.000 – Tom Padham, Weather Observer/Education Specialist

A significant storm for the upcoming weekend has now been consistently in the models over the past several days, and it could be an impressive storm for much of New Hampshire and New England. I thought it would be good take a look at the current models and see the things that are closer to a certainty, and also those that are more “up in the air” for this weekend. First off, let’s back up a little bit and see how the weather is looking ahead of this weekend.

A weak clipper system will cross through New England tomorrow, mostly impacting the northern half of the region with some snow showers, gusty winds, and a reinforcing shot of colder air. Particularly in the mountains we could see some briefly heavy snow via snow squalls tomorrow afternoon and evening, with even a rumble of thunder not out of the question. Snow accumulations for the summit will likely be in the 1-3” range, although if any squalls track directly overhead we could see slightly higher amounts.

3 KM NAM model showing potentially heavy snow showers crossing northern New England Wednesday afternoon. Image courtesy of Tropical Tidbits.

After a break in the action Thursday, another relatively weak system will track through southern New England for Friday, with a light but widespread snowfall for the area. This will luckily be a quick mover, likely starting early Friday morning and ending by the late evening the same day. It will however, be a negative impact on driving as the area looks to receive 2-4” of snow, just enough to be a nuisance for driving, or great for skiing!

Then attention turns to the much more significant storm. This system is just starting to impact the West Coast tomorrow and Thursday, at which point the models will likely have a much better understanding of how it will evolve over time as it crosses the country. After producing heavy rain and snow in the West, with up to 5 feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada mountains, the storm will redevelop in the lee of the Colorado Rockies Friday. By Saturday the system will be picking up a significant amount of moisture as it tracks across the Mississippi River, quickly pushing snow into the Northeast during the overnight hours.

Temperatures will be cold enough for snow statewide as precipitation begins in earnest by midnight Saturday, with potentially heavy snow during the predawn hours Sunday through the afternoon. What’s still uncertain is how far north warmer air will push in, allowing for a changeover to more of a snow/sleet mixture. Along the coast there could briefly be some freezing rain as well, but eventually warmer air will win out here allowing for a changeover to plain rain. Across the higher elevations of the White Mountains like Mount Washington and for points further north, precipitation should remain all snow.

GFS model showing potentially where the rain-snow line will be setting up Sunday morning. Image courtesy of Tropical Tidbits.

By the time the storm departs Sunday night we could be looking at a widespread area of near one foot of snow, with localized higher amounts. The summit will almost certainly see 100+ mph winds either during or just after the storm departs, and there’s also the potential for near-record cold on the backside of this system for early next week. It’s going to be a very active and exciting time to observe the weather on Mount Washington, we’ll continue to monitor this storm over the next few days as it develops and hopefully witness some of the extreme winter conditions we’re famous for!

24-hour snowfall amounts from the potential storm late Saturday night through Sunday night. This is just one solution, but many areas in interior New Hampshire and Maine may see roughly one foot of new snow. Image courtesy of Tropical Tidbits.

Tom Padham, Weather Observer/Education Specialist

A Once In a Lifetime Experience

2019-01-14 10:05:41.000 – Stephen Durham, Summit Intern

When I was younger in middle school, I visited New Hampshire for the first time back around Thanksgiving of 2006, my family drove near Mount Washington for the first time ever and fell in love with the mountains and the sights. My dad showed me videos of what it was like up and seeing videos on the television of how extreme it can get. I wished to get the chance to be up there one day. In January of 2014 I visited Plymouth State University just about an hour away, and found out about a winter internship opportunity at the Mount Washington Observatory. Between that and a great meteorology program, I knew I had a chance to fulfill a dream.

I waited until my junior year of college to apply for the internship, since I knew it only took juniors or senior students mostly. I wasn’t able to get it the first time around. The second time around was key and is the proper way of sending me off into the future of meteorology. Knowing Id get to spend two weeks in some of the worst weather conditions possible in the world, I was ready and couldn’t wait for the day to come.

Since I was little: wild, bizarre, and brutal winter weather has been my favorite growing up in the Hudson Valley of New York. Blizzards and nor’easters are easily my favorite weather events to happen. Leading up to my internship I kept watching the weather and the pattern setting up to hopefully get a chance at a snowstorm and get some hurricane force winds while being at the Mount Washington Observatory. The pattern seemed a little tranquil at first, but things began to shape up in my favor.

It seemed perfect the beginning of my internship, my first day up would be the “calm before the storm” as it was a picturesque day at the base of the Mt. Washington Auto road to load up on the snow cat to get set for the shift change. The following day had snow in the forecast, so I was already giddy with excitement. The ride up the auto road was beautiful as the Atlantic Ocean could be seen while riding up, and the views were just breathtaking and there was so much to take in at once.

When we got to the summit, it was hard to believe I was up there, especially in January, the best time to be up on a mountain. There was visibility of 130 plus miles. Going to bed that first night was hard as I knew snow was coming and I wanted to see what it was like up there with the snow and wind. I woke up around 4:30 AM and was ready and excited. When I went up to the parapet with moderate to heavy snow and winds up to 70 mph, I felt like I was dreaming. It had me pumped up and excited to be feeling snow hitting me like tiny stones at a high rate of speed, even if it made my face a bit chilly. The observers said I haven’t seen anything yet as winds were about average and that I should wait until we get over 90 mph and over 100 to see what that is like. I wondered then if I’d get the chance of getting over the century mark for winds.

That opportunity would come over the first weekend, and it put me at another level of excitement. Nothing is like 100+ mph wind gusts ripping across the deck or over the tower while deicing instruments. The pure force of nature made me feel like a child in a candy store. And then later in the week we got a bigger storm that brought in winds gusting over 110+ mph and those winds were just unbelievable. We got around 20” during a two-day span of synoptic snow and a good upsloping snow event. We even got VERTICAL snow to start the synoptic event as winds were calm and tranquil.

The sunrises and sunsets were unbelievable and hard to put into words what they are like. The beautiful glow off the top of the White Mountains after some fresh snow and rime ice. Mother Nature is a beautiful and powerful thing and is often underestimated.

While up here at the Mount Washington Observatory, it was awesome working with both shifts and learning the processes of what goes through forecasting and managing the observatory. Between educational trips spending overnights here at the summit to helping with Facebook lives, it was a fun experience and I feel I have learned some valuable skills in the 2 weeks I have been here at Mount Washington. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity that I will remember forever and hope I can come back again to experience more thrilling and extreme weather here at the Mount Washington Observatory.

Stephen Durham, Summit Intern

The Deep Freeze is Here!

2019-01-10 10:45:46.000 – Tom Padham, Weather Observer/Education Specialist

We’ve had plenty of extremes so far this winter season on the summit of Mount Washington, from high winds to whiteout conditions and heavy snow, but one thing seems to be missing: extreme cold! Overall temperatures have been fairly mild (by our standards) since December, with our coldest temperatures actually occurring before the winter officially started in November at -26°F on the 22^nd. December saw an average temperature of 11°F, slightly above average, and only saw -12°F as our coldest temperature to start the real winter season, pretty benign!

Last winter saw some record setting cold and warmth, but overall was a little more on the warm side. Just over a year ago on January 6th, 2018 we hit a new daily record low of -38°F, the coldest in my 6 years on the summit also. February was quiet the opposite, with a winter season record high of 48°F, t-shirt weather! Although it was cool to say I wore a t-shirt in the middle of the winter on the summit I’d really prefer more of the cold and snow we’re known for.

Record setting warmth February 21st, 2018

There looks to be some big changes on the horizon, however. After seeing a pretty big storm system the past several days carve out a new upper level trough it seems the pattern of having mild air across the East is coming to an end for now. Temperatures climbed to near freezing just ahead of the storm on the 8^th and 9^th, but now we’re approaching 0°F (with 13” of new snow and counting!). Much colder air will continue to pour into New England tonight and through the weekend, with temperatures likely bottoming out around -15°F sometime Saturday night. Winds will also be impressive during this time frame, potentially exceeding 120 mph, with wind chill values approaching -65°F.

This weekend may just be the “appetizer” for an even more impressive cold snap during the middle to late part of next week. An arctic cold front looks set to cross New England sometime Tuesday night through Thursday morning, with potentially the coldest air of this winter so far. Very cold air looks to be locked in place over Northeast Canada, and depending on the strength of the clipper/arctic front some of this frigid air may spill into northern New England by Thursday. This morning’s GFS model so far is the coldest, and would bring readings of near -30°F to the summit if it verifies. While I’m not always a huge fan of bitter cold, this would be another thing to check off the list so far this winter, and we always enjoy our extremes up here!

GFS Model 850 mb temperatures (roughly 5k feet asl) showing sub-zero readings across the Northeast Thursday morning. Image courtesy of Tropical Tidbits.

Tom Padham, Weather Observer/Education Specialist

Light Pillars

2018-12-28 09:58:49.000 – Christopher Hohman, Night Observer/Staff Meteorologist

Last night the Observatory witnessed an event that isn’t very common in the winter! This is one of my favorite atmospheric optical phenomenon. They are called Light Pillars, and rarely form around us during the winter months. The lights from North Conway, Berlin, and even Bretton Woods were producing this beautiful spectacle around 8:00 PM last night. If you haven’t seen the picture Ryan posted on our Facebook page, check it out here:

So what exactly is causing this phenomenon to happen? Well, it’s actually a rather simple concept. The most important piece to seeing this spectacle is for hexagonal shaped ice plates to be falling from the sky. If those aren’t forming (for various reasons, say the temperature is too low or too high), then there’s no chance you’ll see a light pillar.

Now let’s say they are forming, they actually have to fall in a certain way. They need to fall perfectly flat side down to reflect the light to your eyes. This is why it’s hard for us to see these pillars on a regular basis. Last night we had very low winds, which weren’t creating much turbulence in the atmosphere. If winds had been high, then the crystals wouldn’t have been able to gently fall plate side down. Here’s the link to a site that has a great diagram of what I’m trying to describe.

https://www.atoptics.co.uk/halo/lpil.htm

It isn’t just city lights that form these light pillars. In fact, a much more common phenomenon is Sun Pillars. This optical effect happens when the sun is starting to set below the horizon. The same idea with the ice crystals falling plate side down is the key here. Now you may be wondering, “Why can I only see pillars when the sun is setting?” The answer really lies in what direction the light is emitted. If you clicked that link above, you’ll see that lights needs to be sent upwards into the atmosphere to get these pillars. During a sunset, the sun’s light is cast upward. While during the day, it’s light is emitted directly downward toward the surface.

Here are some pictures of sun pillars we’ve observed over the years:

That’s all I have for you guys this time. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog, I hope you found it interesting! If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact us. Thank you for your support, and have a wonderful day!

Christopher Hohman, Night Observer/Staff Meteorologist

Thank You Notes

2018-12-26 17:14:49.000 – Ryan Knapp, Weather Observer/Staff Meteorologist

I hope everyone had a great Christmas Day, or if you don’t celebrate, a great Tuesday. My coworkers, Tom, Chris and Marty Kitty, spent this Christmas with me on the summit. For Tom, Marty, and I, this wasn’t our first Christmas on the Rockpile, but that doesn’t make it any easier to be away from friends and family from the holidays. Thankfully we all get along well and there was plenty of Christmas cheer to ease us being miles away from it all. However, there were many individuals behind the scenes who made this Christmas what it was. So, I/we would like to take a minute to send out some thanks to those individuals that made Christmas so special for us.

Earlier in December, Ray Girard donated a tree to the Observatory. While we have a fake Christmas tree in storage, nothing beats the sight and smell of the real thing. So, thank you Ray for providing us a real tree to make our living quarters look and smell like Christmas.

Our volunteers, Mike and Sue Zlogar, brought this tree up with them and then proceed to decorate it, as well as our living quarters, by putting up stockings, lights, ornaments, and even a makeshift star out of cardboard and foil as a tree topper. So thank you to the Zlogar’s for donating your time with us and spending some of it to make our quarters feel like Christmas.

MWO 2018 Christmas Tree

A handful of people sent us Christmas Cards. In an ever increasing digital era, it is still nice to receive paper cards during our once a week mail deliveries. So thank you to these individuals for taking the time out of their busy holiday schedule and considering us in their Christmas mailings.

A few people sent us Christmas cookies and treats. Thank you to all these individuals for providing us a taste of the holidays. With all the delicious items I have been shoveling down, I am starting to feel like a 4-H project getting ready for the State Fair.

Our tree had packages stowed under it sent from Rosanna S, Carol A, Susan & Bob N, Mike & Sue Z, Charles, Laura P, Lee W, David M, and a few anonymous “Santa’s” (either truly sent anonymously or we couldn’t find a packing slip with a name on it). Thank you to all these individuals for the cat food, cat litter, pots & pans, coffee maker, Crock-Pot, electric griddle, blender, office supplies, and candies. Your items were all things we were in need of, so we appreciate you sending them to us and giving us something to open on Christmas morning.

Our social media posts, especially the ones posted on the 25th, had numerous Christmas greetings and well wishes. So to all those that stopped by our pages on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to leave these comments, Thank You! – we read all of them and appreciate your messages.

Mt Washington Summit sign in Christmas Lights

Summit sign wrapped in lights

Lastly, to all our members and donors over the past year and coming days to round out 2018. Your support, big or small, is so greatly appreciated by me and everyone here at our small non-profit. We literally wouldn’t exist without your support. So thank you for allowing us to continue our weather data, forecasts, pictures, and personalities with you over the past days, weeks, months, year, and beyond.

Northern Presidential summits at night with milky way overhead

Looking north at the glow of Canada and the Milky Way above that

Ryan Knapp, Weather Observer/Staff Meteorologist

I’m Dreaming of a…

2018-12-24 10:06:05.000 – Taylor Regan, Weather Observer/Research Specialist

White Christmas! I decided to do a little digging in the archives, as Christmas comes but once a year, and at the Observatory anyway, there are a few different options available courtesy of the weather when it comes to having a “white Christmas.” I started wondering what the odds were, and thought I’d share the results!

Firstly, let me explain that one could interpret a “white Christmas” a few different ways up here on the summit, and that’s due to the variety of weather we see! Firstly, and exceedingly common, the summit could be in the fog on Christmas, which often (in addition to drastically reducing visibility) bathes everything that you can see in a bright white glow. Secondly, there could be snow on the ground: for my query I decided that at least one inch of snow on the ground would be enough to render it a “white Christmas,” this is also what the National Weather Service considers to qualify for a white Christmas. This is fairly common as well, with our first snow typically sticking around on the summit in mid- to late- October. Thirdly, and what is most iconic, is snow that is actively falling. I considered snowfall of at least 0.1” on December 25^th to count.

Here are the individual likelihoods that the summit weather meets either of the three conditions for a “white Christmas.”

Fog: 68.7 % Likelihood

Snow (≥1” on ground): 86.7 % Likelihood

Snow (≥0.1” fallen): 61.4 % Likelihood

Likelihood of either snow fall, snow pack, or fog meeting criteria for a “white Christmas:” 98.4 %

Likelihood of all three criteria being met: 36.6%

Annnddd, just for a little extra trivia: The coldest temperature recorded on the summit on December 25^th is -29°F. Additionally, the most snow recorded on the summit on Christmas day is 13.9 inches.

Happy Holidays All! (And to all a good night!)

Taylor Regan, Weather Observer/Research Specialist

Comet 46P/Wirtanen (aka the “Christmas Comet”)

2018-12-17 04:44:14.000 – Ryan Knapp, Weather Observer/Staff Meteorologist

Working the night shift over the past 13 years, I am always in awe of the night sky. While my background is in meteorology (the study of weather) and the Observatory is purely a weather-based observatory, it is difficult to step out on a nightly basis and when we are clear, not have at least an inkling to know what I’m looking at beyond the lowest layer of earth’s atmosphere. There are the obvious constants (moon, stars, constellations, etc) but I am always on the lookout on space related blogs and websites for other interesting events. These types of events would be the International Space Station, meteor showers, numerous planets in the sky at once and/or their alignments, comets, or lunar eclipses just to name a few. For December, there were/are a few close encounters of the moon and various planets (not literally, just perspectively), there were/are two meteor showers (Geminids and Ursids), and the passage of Comet 46P/Wirtanen (aka the “Christmas Comet”).

This shift had three things I was looking forward to viewing – the close approach of the Moon & Mars, the peak of the Geminids and Comet 46P at its brightest. However, this is Mt Washington, so the weather would be the determining factor on how many of these events I would actually get to see. Summit fog obscured the Moon & Mars approach. Summit fog obscured the peak of the Geminids. And overcast skies obscured the viewing of Comet 46P. Am I surprised? Nope, Mt Washington spends over 60% of the year in the clouds and the times that we are clear, partly to mostly cloudy conditions are statistically favored. So I knew statistically speaking, my chances would be low. However, with the exception of the Moon/Mars date, since meteor showers and comet passages occur over multiple nights, I was still able to see both at times on the nights we were generally clear.

While I was doing my observations on the night of the 12/13th, I saw numerous shooting stars but was unable to see the comet, as I couldn’t place where it was until it was too late and it had been obscured by the western horizon. Knowing we would be in/under clouds on the night of the 16th and likely beyond, my last good chance would be on the 15th. At first we had mostly to partly cloudy skies, so I wasn’t holding out much hope but then the ridge built in and the skies cleared out and opened up. Even better were winds were dampened to the 15 to 30 mph range making it possible to weight down a tripod for long exposures. So I split my night shift break in two taking 30 minutes to snap a few images with the moon still out and then another 30 minutes later in the night after the moon set. The times between I still had to take weather observations so each time I stepped outside it was like a giant game of “Where’s Waldo?” as I scanned the sky to see where the comet had moved in relation to my position on Earth. All in all a fun night of weather observations for work and night sky viewing for fun.

Looking up at Comet 46P Saturday night

Summit sign, Obs Tower, Milky Way and Comet 45P (left side halfway down)

So what is the next thing I am looking forward to in the night sky? Hands down that would be the total lunar eclipse on 20/21 January 2019, which will be visible across the entire western hemisphere (if the skies are clear for your location). I was on the summit for the 28 September 2015 total lunar eclipse and we were fortunate enough to be clear to view it (and being me, photographing it). I am hoping to be fortunate enough to view it this upcoming go around as well. But it is too hard to determine that as of now as weather models that far out are rubbish. So for now, fingers crossed it all works out!

Lunar Eclipse from Mt Washington 28 September 2015

Lunar Eclipse from Mt Washington from 28 September 2015

Ryan Knapp, Weather Observer/Staff Meteorologist

In Search of Extreme Weather

2018-12-14 09:51:31.000 – Thomas Padham, Weather Observer/Education Specialist

After a very active (by which I mean snowy and windy) October and November, things have quieted down significantly to start the first half of December here on the summit of Mount Washington. It has been plenty cold enough for snow, with our average temperature so far over the past 13 days of the month at only 8°F, about 3 degrees below average. Upper level high pressure across the Northeast is to blame, keeping cold, but dry air masses in place and the jet stream further south. This set up resulted in a major winter storm for the Southeast just this past weekend, while points north of the Mid Atlantic remained cold, but mostly dry.

All of this dry weather has led to some pretty great sunrises!

Taking a look at the longer range models, there are some changes on the way over the rest of December, not all of it good if you’re a snow enthusiast unfortunately. With a cutoff low currently over the Gulf Coast much more mild air is already beginning to work its way towards New England. Temperatures will be climbing well above freezing for the valleys, with even the summit likely seeing a little melting Sunday. This warm up should come crashing back down by Monday with the passage of a cold front, with temperatures falling back to just below zero (5-10 degrees below average). This will also be our next chance of measureable snow as well, with probably 3-6” looking likely Monday afternoon through Wednesday morning as the summit sees favorable upslope snow conditions. Tuesday, December 18^th will also see a very tight pressure gradient as low pressure strengthens offshore and high pressure builds in, with 100+ mph winds looking likely!

So where’s the next big storm? Unfortunately there’s not much over the next 10 days or so. A clipper like system will bring at least some snow around the 21^st-22^nd of December to the higher elevations of New England, followed by potentially another clipper nearing Christmas Eve. These systems are typically quick moving and lack enough moisture for substantial snow amounts, but on the positive side for skiers it will be cold enough for snow at most of the major resorts. There is some hints of a more significant Nor’easter-like storm following Christmas and before the new year, but models are often a little erratic and inconsistent two weeks out and details on this system, if it ever comes together, are likely to change.

For fun I thought I’d take a look outside of the U.S to see if there’s any other major storms. The UK is bracing for back-to-back powerful storm systems, with heavy rain and very strong winds over the next several days. The first system is already affecting parts of Ireland, with the center of the storm an impressively low pressure at 957 mb. A near identical strength storm will march across the Emerald Isle Monday, with wind gusts near hurricane force possible along the coast. Some of the highest peaks in Ireland, which reach over 3,000 feet, will likely see winds near 100 mph.

GFS model 850 mb winds showing the second powerful storm to affect the UK Monday. Image courtesy of Tropical Tidbits.

Although we’ve been seeing some “quiet” weather here at the top of New England, one can always find interesting weather happening somewhere on the planet at the same time. I’m sure it won’t be too long until we hear the roar of 100 mph winds or the pelting of heavy snow up here once more!

Thomas Padham, Weather Observer/Education Specialist

Final Thoughts on my Internship

2018-12-12 07:45:28.000 – Zach Butler, Summit Intern

What an experience this half year had been! I cannot believe I’ve been an intern up here since late May, time truly flew by. Time to recap on some of the notable experiences I had this summer and fall. I’ve wanted to work on Mount Washington since I can remember. My grandfather told me a story of him and friends getting stuck in a Memorial Day blizzard to me at a very young age. Hearing this and my already obsession with weather at a very young age, I knew I had to be atop the tallest mountain in New England with “the world’s most extreme weather”. I climbed the mountain with my dad and grandfather when I was 11 years old. Working and being an intern on Mount Washington was a dream growing up.

After applying for the internship twice, my dream came true. I graduated with a B.S. in Meteorology from SUNY Oswego in May. After graduation, I would soon be on the road up to NH. Climbing the Auto Road was breathtaking, and walking in the MWOBS Tower was fanaticizing. My first week up here, I couldn’t believe it was happening. Experiencing winds of 60-80 mph was insane to me! I could barely stand. I would learn throughout this experience that these winds were child’s play. The second week of my internship was probably one of the greatest things I had ever seen. My favorite cloud, lenticular’s, in a massive show.

This lenticular formed in so many different shapes the whole day of June 10^th. I was jaw dropped, how could this place get better already? So many different experiences I could write about. There are really too many to describe. Maybe I should write a book. Later in the summer on August 30th, we had the most stunning sunset I had ever seen.

This picture does not do a justice to the overall sight we saw. An undercast sunset, how could it get better? I’m not really sure if it could. We were an island in a sea of clouds for the only people to see, an unforgettable sight and moment. Alright, what should I share next? All of the sights I saw were shared by the people I was around this summer and fall. From the other observers to my fellow interns and museum attendant, Ben Seleb, Emily Tunkel, and Tessa Mueller. Lifelong friendships were made. A lot of experiences and memories are skipped in this blog simply because I would be writing a book. I’m really considering writing a book now.

By far the most insane weather condition I have ever experienced was on November 3^rd, where we had a peak wind gust of 125 mph! While I was not outside in this wind gust, I was outside in a wind gust of 115 mph. A category 3 hurricane or an EF-2 tornado. A got knocked off my feet and rolled on the deck, unhurt luckily. This experience was the most thrilling thing ever. This extremity is part of the reason I am obsessed with weather. Once again, another dream come true experience.

Other experiences from this internship that are long lasting memories are the educational accelerant’s I gained. I completed two research projects this internship: Mesonet Voltage Research and a Snow depth study. Ben and I were able to correlate how the solar panels on the White Mountain mesonet stations correlate to sunshine and sometimes do not correlate. This was research new to me in the meteorological and engineering field. A great experience and educational outlet where I learned a lot. The other research I completed was a study to measure snow depth on the summit in a more accurate approach than the observatory currently does. Furthermore, I went on other educational outlets to make a terminology guide of the weather terms we use in our higher summits forecast. So many research assignments but so little time and space to describe them! Ok, one more. The time I gave to weather station tours was unforgettable. I learned a lot about communication skills from giving several tours a day. It was really fun and humbling to make adults, children’s, and families summer by showing the observatory off and what we do. People are amazed by sights and work we do up here for good reason. It is humbling and I feel incredibly grateful to work at the Mount Washington Observatory.

Back to some more pictures to close out this blog and internship experience. The stars and night sky were incredible this summer fall. Check this out!

This internship was a dream come true and over-fulfilled my goals and expectations. The experiences I shared in this blog were some of the noteworthy ones, but no where near all the memorable ones. The Mount Washington Observatory helped me become a better, smarter, and more appreciative individual through this internship.

Zach Butler, Summit Intern

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