News

Right Back At It Again! 2020-06-16 13:02:37.000 - Nicole Tallman, Weather Observer/ Education Speacialist   May 2017 I began my adventure on Mount Washington as a summer intern who had never been to New Hampshire let alone the summit before. All it took was one day on the rockpile and I knew this place would change my life. I was able to experience thunderstorms, hail, glaze, and rime ice all within my first month of living on Mount Washington. As my summer internship came to a close I applied for and received an extension on my stay on the summit

Whats With The Warm Record Breaking May Temperatures? 2020-06-08 18:40:15.000 - Jay Broccolo, Weather Observer/Meteorologist    The summit broke a couple records late last May during the most uneventful week I have experienced thus far.  Having said that, even during an uneventful week, apparently, the summit of Mount Washington can still be quite eventful.  When I say uneventful, what I mean is beautiful sunny weather, dry conditions, low winds, and a few fair weather cumulus clouds.  Essentially, t-shirt and shorts weather, which is exactly what I was wearing during this week up.    Often times, the summit is unaffected by

Seven Years at the Top of New England 2020-05-28 08:11:09.000 - Tom Padham, Weather Observer/Education Specialist    The Road goes ever on and on Down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the Road has gone, And I must follow, if I can, Pursuing it with eager feet The Road goes ever on and on Out from the door where it began. Now far ahead the Road has gone. Let others follow, if they can! Let them a journey new begin.   J.R.R Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings   My road with the Mount Washington Observatory has

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

When Hail Freezes Over 2020-05-18 13:14:01.000 - AJ Grimes, Weather Observer   To coincide with this week’s Virtual Classroom topic of thunderstorm types, I wanted to explore a type of precipitation that is commonly found alongside thunderstorms – hail. It’s a fascinating phenomenon in meteorology, and, if you think about it, it seems a little strange to see pieces of ice falling from the sky on a hot summer day. Let’s start by taking a look at the interesting formation process of hail and what kind of conditions are needed to begin the process. Hail is frozen precipitation that occurs

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

Like a Breath of Fresh Air - Only Thinner 2020-05-04 12:47:37.000 - AJ Grimes, Weather Observer   Here at the Observatory, we get a lot of questions regarding altitude and the lack of oxygen on the summit. I thought we could continue last week’s theme of high altitude, but instead of baking tips, this week we will investigate the effects on the body as one ascends through the atmosphere and the changes it automatically makes to adjust. Since the air is thinner at the height of Mount Washington (6,288 feet), less oxygen is available with each breath – about 20%

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

A Cirque-us Around Mount Washington 2020-04-20 13:42:40.000 - AJ Grimes, Weather Observer   Continuing on last week’s theme of extreme ice, let’s talk about glaciers! If you’ve ever gone skiing at Tuckerman Ravine or climbing at Huntington Ravine, you may have wondered what force created these spectacular formations. Or, perhaps you’ve stood at the crest of the Gulfside Trail and wondered at the Great Gulf. Would you believe that there used to be massive ice sheets there that carved these awe-inspiring sights?   View of Mount Washington from Wildcat Mountain, with Tuckerman Ravine on the left and Huntington Ravine on

Amazing Glaze! 2020-04-13 12:34:08.000 - AJ Grimes, Weather Observer   Early April.  Astronomical and meteorological Spring.  In the valleys below, birds are fluttering in the trees, crickets are chirping in the woods, and new life is beginning to emerge from the ground.  However, as weather observers and those familiar with Mount Washington know, winter still has the summit firmly in its frozen grip.  On April 3rd, the observers on the summit battled one of the most intense icing events of the current winter season, resulting in some stunning photos and helping to illustrate why the Observatory needs to be manned