News

Founding Day 2020-10-15 19:24:12.000 - Mount Washington Observatory Staff, Weather Observers   Today we celebrate the founding of Mount Washington Observatory…   Setting the stage on October 15, 1932, Bob Monahan, Sal Pagliuca, Alex MacKenzie, and Joe Dodge set up a permanent presence on the summit. Using funds obtained from a research grant and a few private donors, the Mount Washington Observatory was formally established, with a mission of advancing the understanding of weather, climate, and the mountain itself.   Photo 1. Original four observers   Just two years later, on April 12, 1934 the Observatory captured what was then

Delta's Remnants Brings A Series Of Remarkable Weather Phenomena To The Summit Of Mt. Washington. 2020-10-14 06:32:37.000 - Jay Broccolo, Weather Observer/Meteorologist   Hello everyone! Last night I was working on a blog about my experience hiking Mt. Whitney and going to Badwater Basin in Death Valley. I thought it might be interesting for some people to hear about some of the weather that sparked off a series of storms over Sequoia and Inyo National Forests, which went on to start a series of unprecedented wildfires out west. Maybe you wanted to see some pictures of the weather station at

Mount Washington Observatory’s Virtual Classroom Re-Launches “Home of the World’s Worst Weather Live” 2020-10-05 16:42:26.000 - Brian Fitzgerald, Director of Science and Education   After taking the summer off, Mount Washington Observatory (MWO) is thrilled to be re-launching the free “Home of the World’s Worst Weather Live” virtual classroom program today meant for students in grades 6-8. Weather Observer/Education Specialist Nicole Tallman will kick our school-year-long series with an introduction to the weekly program and the science and study of meteorology. If you weren't able to join live today be sure to check out the recording at www.mountwashington.org/classroom . While

A Different Kind of Extreme 2020-09-29 06:27:18.000 - David DeCou, Weather Observer   Hello from Mount Washington Summit! It has been quite some time since I’ve last written here, so I’ll briefly re-introduce myself. My name is David DeCou, and I’ve been a night weather observer here at the Obs for the past seven months. I first arrived at the tail-end of February as someone new to the area and to the summit. Riding up in a snowcat for the first time, I felt as though I had landed on another planet. A planet coated in feathery brittle rime ice,

So Far, So Good 2020-09-21 16:15:12.000 - Sam Robinson, Weather Observer/Engineer   Hello again from the highest office in the East, For those of you who have read my first couple blog posts I’m glad to have you back reading. For those of you who have never read my previous observers' comments, welcome. I am Sam Robinson, a Northern Massachusetts native who is a mechanical engineer with a passion for the weather. I am now into my 3rd month working here as an observer and it is going very well. The last observer's comment I wrote I was on the

Worlds of Dew 2020-09-14 11:53:38.000 - Nate Iannuccillo, Weather Observer/Education Specialist   This world of dew is a world of dew, and yet, and yet. -Kobayashi Issa  I remember first reading Issa’s famous haiku 5 years ago and being struck by its profundity (I should mention that this is just one possible translation from the original Japanese). Many great haiku seem to have a sort of universal nature and magnitude to them, and trying to explain them almost seems to do a disservice to the art, but as I continue my work as a weather observer, this one keeps coming to

You Live On The Summit?! 2020-09-07 15:16:31.000 - Nicole Tallman, Weather Observer/Education Specialist   After a busy weekend on the summit, I have realized there are many people that are unfamiliar with how the Obs staff operates on the summit. I had many questions asking about how long we are up here and many shocked faces when they learned that we live on the summit for a week at a time!  Figure 1: Living room in our living quarters Summit staff is split into 2 shifts with 3 observers per shift. We have shift change every Wednesday and swap out

Oboz on The Go 2020-09-03 08:26:18.000 - Rebecca Scholand, Summit Operations Manager   I think it is safe to say that many people have experienced a change in their 2020 habits and plans. I feel like my day to day schedule can vary so wildly that even my best laid out plans change quickly and unexpectedly. As spring came into focus the beginning of April, I was excited to pack away my Oboz insulated Bridger boots for something lighter and more breathable. I had every intention to spend quite a bit of time exploring the local trails around me as

Radar, the Military, and Wan Shi Tong's Library 2020-08-31 09:15:38.000 - Nate Iannuccillo, Weather Observer/Education Specialist   Last Friday at Cathedral Ledge, my buddy Jon and I sat atop the first pitch of the diagonal on the Mordor Wall, mulling over the weather and assessing our options. We had decided to take a closer look at the weather after noticing the sharp, cool breeze and the building clouds overhead. Thanks to Jon’s radar app on his phone, we were able to confirm our suspicions that rain was on the way, so it turned out to be a nice validation of

A Glimpse of Cooler Weather 2020-08-24 16:07:36.000 - Nicole Tallman, Weather Observer/Education Specialist   Earlier in this shift, the overnight lows were dipping into the mid-30s. Morning observations were a bit more brisk than what I have been used to since being back on the Rockpile. While Mount Washington never truly gets “hot” the warmer summer conditions have been spoiling me! Recently, when going outside for our hourly observations we can simply walk outside in whatever light jacket we were wearing already. However, the cooler morning observations had me wearing gloves, ear warmers and an extra jacket! It was a