The Weather Channel's Jim Cantore to Visit Mount Washington Observatory

Mount Washington, NH—Mount Washington’s infamous weather has once again captured the attention of The Weather Channel’s Jim Cantore, who will pay a visit to the Mount Washington Observatory summit weather station next week. Perched atop the rocky, windswept summit of the tallest peak in the Northeast, the Observatory has made its name recording some of the world’s most extreme conditions—and that’s exactly what Cantore is looking for.

The Weather Channel crew will be filming for a show called “Cantore’s Stories,” which sends the meteorologist to some of the most diverse weather climates in America and abroad. Each half-hour episode gives viewers a new perspective on extreme weather destinations, from the scorching hot Death Valley, CA, to International Falls, MN, dubbed the “Icebox of the Nation.” Through interviews with the people who live and work in these environments, the show illustrates how weather influences their way of life.

For the staff of the Mount Washington Observatory, extreme weather is their way of life.

“There are times when we don’t see the sun for an entire week-long shift,” says veteran Observatory meteorologist Ryan Knapp, referring to the mountain’s tendency to be enveloped in thick, disorienting fog. Knapp and fellow crew members venture outside every hour of every day, often enduring sub-zero temperatures, hurricane-force winds, freezing fog and blowing snow to record and disseminate critical weather data.

“You have to respect it,” Cantore noted during his last visit to the Observatory in 2008. “You can’t just walk outside in an 80 mph wind.”

Cantore, a Vermont native who has made a career out of tracking and experiencing extreme weather, will go behind the scenes of the legendary Mount Washington Observatory summit station, interviewing the men and women who call it home. Viewers can look forward to learning more about the Observatory, the summit, and its famous winter extremes.

“Building on last winter’s National Geographic feature, we are thrilled to once again put Mount Washington in the national spotlight,” says Executive Director Scot Henley. “Mount Washington is an amazing resource for research, education, and tourism alike.”

The series will premier on The Weather Channel January 24 at 10 p.m. Visit the events page on MountWashington.org for the air date of this specific Mount Washington episode.

Mount Washington Observatory is a private, non-profit, member-supported organization with a mission to advance understanding of the natural systems that create the Earth's weather and climate. Since 1932, the Observatory has been monitoring the elements in one of the most extreme locations on Earth, using this unique site for scientific research and educational outreach. For current conditions, webcams, photos, forecasts and information about supporting the Observatory, visit www.MountWashington.org.

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