Observer Comments
October 2006
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Off the moderate speed chart!!!
I was awakened at around 1:30AM last night by a thunderous roar throughout the building, a sound louder than I’ve ever heard in the building. And my memory wasn’t that short, wind speeds earlier in the day were topping 140mph with some regularity, so I knew this was big. I just about jumped out of bed with excitement and ran upstairs and found Mike Pelchat from state park also recently awakened eyeing the charts. Ryan was across the room checking the database by the minute, and greeted me with a chipper good morning. Just then the whole building shook again, a few awed expletives were uttered, and a gust of 158mph (pending re-analysis for pressure and temperature at the time) was recorded on (or off have you) the charts.
Shortly thereafter, and not sure how much higher winds would go, thoughts immediately turned to the pitot, our high speed anemometer. The hourly task of deicing had kept the instrument working flawlessly despite the unusually heavy rime buildup on the tower, but now the wind speeds FAR exceeded safe limits in the ring to perform the maintenance.
Ryan and Mike sought out the longest crowbar in the station, which though usually cumbersome to use, was perfect in this situation. From the protection of the parapet below the instrument ring, all that was needed was to stick the iron in the air upwind of the instrument and the wind took care of the rest, driving the bar into the ring. Icing problem solved, and though wind speeds did not end up increasing, they were slow to recede, remaining still steady above 100mph as of this writing.
Checking records, the gust recorded last night was the highest to rock the summit since July of 1996. It also was a mere 3mph below the October record wind speed of 161 mph in 1943.
Wind forecasts keep likely gusts above 100mph throughout the day today, with relative relief tomorrow, 40 to 60 mph with warmer temperatures and clear skies. And though the crew loves working in the extremes, after three days of battling extreme winds, these observers are worn out!
Jim Salge – Observer
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Frozen Footprints...
Working night’s means that I sleep during the day, but that proved to be difficult yesterday with winds blowing out of the southeast. When winds come from this direction, every time an observer uses the tower door, the winds funnel down the stairs and blow into the observatory living quarters. This in turn causes the bedroom doors and bedroom ceiling tiles to shake. So after waking up every hour thinking that my room was possessed by a poltergeist, I went to work.
Waking, I found it raining with temperatures climbing to the 42 degree mark. What this translated into was the world’s largest slurpee as the snows turned from 13” of powder to 7” of slush. The worst was a giant slush puddle in the middle of the summit which I named “Lake Manthisissuckee,” the sibling of Lake Winnipesaukee. Now, normally my LL Bean Winter Sports Boots keep my feet warm and dry but when the slush is so deep that it goes in through the top, there is little that can be done but to deal with it. So was the case when getting the precipitation can at the 1800 observation.
Fast forward to the midnight observations precipitation can retrieval. Temperatures dropped to 20 degrees turning the slush to a sheet of ice, freezing everything in place. This included the foot steps made from earlier in the day, resulting in 12 inch long, four inch wide, and seven inch deep pot holes all over the summit. Although it made things difficult, it was neat to look at, like a paleontologist examining the footsteps of some ancient creature.
Ryan Knapp – Observer
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Yesterday
The end of October is certainly turning out to be a roller coaster ride for weather atop the Rockpile. A week ago winds gusted to 129 mph, some snow fell, followed by a nice day, then back in the clouds and snow to pick up around a foot on the ground, followed by bright sunshine and sun-baked warmth.
All this quickly turned around to today’s myriad of snow and sleet, and wind speeds nearing 100 mph. Every hour is filled with de-icing our instruments, scraping the doorways and sweeping the snow (and blowing sleet) out of the tower! When winds blow this strong, they will find any crack and opening to get into.
At least today we are not the only ones feeling the extreme weather; most of New England is under some form of advisory for high winds and heavy rains extending from land to sea.
I like the fact that each new shift I come up here proves to be just a bit more severe and long gone are the days I wore shorts on a shift. Now I am making sure that there is no exposed skin, because I tell you, sleet hitting you at 90 mph HURTS! But still I love it. In all honesty I am awaiting the 100 mph winds that are forecasted to reach the summit by mid-day. I am gearing up to attempt the century club. On my first outing, I am not sure I can complete the trek around the observation deck without being knocked down, but it is worth the shot.
Bryan Farr – Summit Intern
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The snow-covered summit...
I honestly think that it has been an entire year since the Northern Presidential Range has looked this white. The density and depth of the early season rime has allowed it to coated everything, and has trapped a large portion of the snow on all the slopes. Given the winter that we had last year, since last October’s record snowfall, I can’t remember them this evenly coated. Perhaps the lower density snow just blows off during mid-winter, perhaps summer is clogging my memory.
The summit has in fact cleared this morning, and an undercast leaves nearly everything within our viewscape a bright white. Finally able to survey the size of the drifts, I can tell you it’s far more than I expected. This shot shows drifts up the tip top house, while this one gives an exaggerated sense of scale. And one last photo shows the changes with elevation that the White Mountains experienced with this storm!
While we currently sit at the 3rd snowiest October on record at the Observatory, and considering the storm poised to hit the peak tomorrow, we should easily move into second despite the risk of mixing for a while. This has been quite a month!
Jim Salge – Observer
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Front Door Drifts...
I think someone forgot to tell Mother Nature that we are only one month into autumn, as winter is in full force on the summit of Mount Washington this morning. Snow drifts reaching ten feet have been created by blowing snow and howling winds which yesterday peaked at 94 mph. A white hurricane continued to blow this morning with northwest winds nearing 80 mph causing pure whiteout conditions. We have picked up over 8 inches of snow, bringing our monthly total to 27.8 inches. Now if last year never happened, we would be nearing a monthly record set in 1969, with 34.4 inches. However last year shattered that record with 78.9 inches falling.
With all of this snow comes the work of shoveling the entry way and observation platform and of course the art of ascending snow drifts, ok, that part is more play as seen in today’s pictures. The last time I saw anything like this was during the Blizzard of 1993. You just cannot help yourself to run and jump into these monstrous heaps which definitely brings back your childhood youth in an instant. Mind you I was dressed in three layers, gloves, two hats, goggles, snow pants and thermal boots, all typical and necessary gear for this time of year, and for anyone who chooses to climb to the peak.
We will definitely be on the verge of the second snowiest October on record as this weekend approaches. A large storm currently over Oklahoma, with enhanced moisture from Pacific Hurricane Paul, will track over us during the day on Saturday. We will be battling some warm air, but several more inches of snow are likely to fall before we close out October. Keep in mind the average October snowfall for Mt. Washington is just shy of 14 inches.
For the sake of comparison, here’s another view of the Yankee drift, which you can contrast with comment photos embedded on Saturday!
Bryan Farr – Summit Intern
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Beginning shift change...
There is something majestic about seeing Mount Washington snowcapped for the first time each season. I was driving north into Conway yesterday when the clouds parted allowing views right to the brilliantly white peak. I knew about all the snow, but I didn’t expect the full on winter look that now ensconced the peak. It was beautiful.
Shift change today was done as if it were winter. And really, it is now winter...and despite the fact that this was the first time this season that I’ve put the chains on the truck, and rode in the back of the snowcat, it just seemed normal. Certainly nothing on Mount Washington is (or ever should be) routine, but this is the way I more intimately know the Observatory. After all, more than half of the year is exactly like this ... or worse. But it’s hard to imagine worse right now.
The conditions at the summit are very poor. It’s a very biting, very dangerous environment currently. Whiteout is an understatement, and blowing snow fills the air already thick with fog. Winds today are consistently gusting to hurricane force, driving the snow against you...and it stings any exposed skin, and it chills you very quickly as it melts, robbing you of heat. Frostbite and hypothermia are very real concerns, and can happen very quickly in current conditions. Please note the message at the bottom of the comment…the summit facilities are closed!
I have attached a picture of our essential departure point in the notch as the picture of the day. After meetings I will link in a few more pictures, highlighting the rapid changes in conditions as we ascended the road. Check back in a few hours.
As promised...A tour of the road during shift change today...These pictures are in ascending order...they stop at 6 Mile (2miles from the summit), because visibility became less than the ability of the camera to discern ANYTHING!
Pic #1
Pic #2
Pic #3
Pic #4
Pic #5
Pic #6
Pic #7
****IMPORTANT BULLETIN*****
The Sherman Adams Building (operated by New Hampshire State Parks) is now closed to the public for the season. The Mount Washington Auto Road is also closed for the season, as is their summit facility "the stage office." The Cog Rail Way may run on a conditional basis. Please contact them at 603-278-5404.
This means that there are now no public facilities on the summit, nor any alternative forms of transportation apart from your own two feet. Please plan accordingly.
Jim Salge – Observer
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Srevice road turns
Following Jon’s lead from yesterday, today’s comments will be mostly
pictures.
But here are the details:
It snowed; it’s still snowing. About 6” of dense snow are on the ground
in an atypically evenly disturbed coating. It is lovely.
I went skiing. Jon took a few pictures. Here they are:
Clicking in |
Getting to the service road ||
Making turns |
happiness |
It could snow everyday this week. It will be cold, lots of readings in
the teens. Next weekend there could be a bigger storm.
****IMPORTANT BULLETIN*****
The Sherman Adams Building (operated by New Hampshire State Parks) is now closed to the public for the season. The Mount Washington Auto Road is also closed for the season, as is their summit facility "the stage office." The Cog Rail Way may run on a conditional basis. Please contact them at 603-278-5404. This means that there are now no public facilities on the summit, nor any alternative forms of transportation apart from your own two feet. Please plan accordingly.
Neil Lareau – Observer
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Tower in Sunrise
No words today. Just photo comparisons between Thursday morning and this morning. Today's shots have the rime ice.
This one is the companion building shot.
Undercast Nelson Crag | Winter Crag
Yankee Building | Yankee Today
Lines of Cirrus | in the Sunrise
Monroe | and Lakes of the Clouds Hut
This one didn't happen today. Though I was racing neck in neck and side by side with two ravens running up the deck into the wind.
This is what I was working on last night - some instrument rewiring in the tower.
The Mount Washington Observatory - bringing you more of what you want. Enjoy the photos and the rest of the weekend. Become a member.
Jon Cotton – Observer
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Snow drift in front of the Yankee Building, taken
What an exciting night! I got to experience my first 100+ mph wind gust, 105 mph to be exact. We were expecting the winds to get nasty overnight last night, so naturally, Neil, Jon, and I went outside around 10pm at night. We stepped out onto the deck and I thought I could handle it no problem but Neil told me we weren’t in the full force of the wind yet. This was because the wind was going over the side of the deck and coming back down towards the middle of the deck. So I took a few steps toward the middle and got literally blown over, unable to hold my balance, and went right down grabbing onto the cracks between the concrete blocks.
I had never experienced a force that powerful before. It definitely didn’t humble me, however, as after I crawled back to a safe spot, I got up and went back into it again! This time I went with Neil and Jon much farther down towards the end of the deck, but a different problem arose: my face mask wasn’t letting enough air in through the mouth and nose holes due to the pressure the wind created from blowing across the holes. Halfway back to a safe area I had to rip my face mask off so I could breathe again.
Of course, even the middle of the deck isn’t getting the full force of the wind, so we ventured up to the top of the tower. We each took turns going up to the parapet to experience the full force of 100+ mph winds. Neil and Jon doing Matrix moves into the wind, and me trying to hold on and not fall over. The peak gust overnight was 129 mph. Only one word can describe the force that winds like that create: awesome.
Photo taken by Mike Pelchat, State Park Manager
Mike Renzi – Summit Intern
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Morning undercast
Spending a good deal of time on the summit of Mount Washington allows
one to begin to approach grandeur with a sense of familiarity instead of
awe. It becomes possible to reflect upon scenes like the one that
greeted my first observation of the morning:
We are joined in a world above the clouds this dawn by the summit of
Mount Adams. Occasionally Jefferson and Madison poke their heads through
the undercast, and for short intervals so to does our distant kin, Mount
Lafayette; mostly though it is just us.
This is a drastically simplified landscape. Gone are the folds and
clefts that define the peaks and notches of the white mountains. Gone is
the coastal plane that flattens and slopes ever so gently toward the
Atlantic. In place of the terrestrial landscape is instead the half fluid half
gaseous ensemble of flat topped stratus stretching to the limits of sight on the
horizon. In some places this layer features swells like those on the open ocean.
In the sky above are clouds of a radically different nature,
ice crystals that trail away in fibrous nearly parallel strands from a
point of coalescence. Rippling wave patterns are superposed throughout
this layer suspended 30,000 feet above our heads.
On mornings like this I have thought, and continue to think, this is
what New England must have looked like 15,000 years ago beneath a mile
thick mantle of crevassed ice.
Neil Lareau – Observer
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Cog and clouds
Being a Mount Washington Observatory volunteer is not your typical week’s vacation as say, going to the Caribbean. I packed enough for three seasons; late summer, fall and winter. When I arrived at the base, I was in 60 degree weather followed by a few days later on Saturday night the temperature bottomed at 15.5 degrees with a wind-chill of -5. In my week here, I have taken 2 hikes, seen snow and rime ice and winds approaching 70 mph.
The photographic opportunities have been awesome. I will have hundreds of pictures to weed through when I get home, along with video of the extremes in which this place shares with us.
I have been very impressed with the way the people here accomplish their jobs. They are taking obs every hour, writing reports, giving live radio interviews and conducting public tours. This is where the volunteers step in. We make sure the staff gets fed well and we act as an extra pair of hands to get some of the odd tasks done, such as putting on storm windows, snow shoveling, and most importantly, supply fresh conversation on a number of topics.
This experience has been educational, exciting, breathtaking, unique and most of all memorable. I would recommend this to anyone reading this web site. People that do not visit the summit would not truly understand this place or the people up here living and working at 6288 feet. If you are not a member, become one. Then fill out an application to volunteer on the summit, you will be happy you did.
Steve Walsh – Summit Volunteer
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Stratocumulus lenticularis
The visitors who made it to the summit yesterday could not have been more pleased as the day turned out to be perfect by their standards. We had some tours of the observatory, and our guests from Pennsylvania were anxious to reach the outside top of our tower where 100 mile views in every direction, light winds and crisp temperatures awaited them. It is definitely rare in October to be able to be outside for any length of time and enjoy the natural beauty this mountain can offer.
As this morning unfolds, we are watching a large storm system that emerged from the Gulf states and is now dropping heavy rains across the mid-Atlantic. It is sad to see the sunshine and views disappear, but the anticipation of some wintry precipitation makes for an exciting day as our temperatures are just below freezing.
There is one thing that I have discovered while being an intern on Mt. Washington, the weather is always dramatically changing. When I arrived last Wednesday, the mountain was encapsulated in a magnificent stratocumulus lenticularis (lenticular for short). The photo attached was taken by Dick Pollock from the Mt. Washington Auto Road last Wednesday. Since then we have gone from warm to cold, snow and ice to views of the sun rising over the Atlantic. From my point of view, Mount Washington is a great place to be in any weather.
Bryan Farr – Summit Intern
Fog. I suppose that I should be used to it by now, but it sure would be nice to see the sun today! Rime ice and snow now cover the summmit proper, and we are reporting 0.5 inches on the ground. 0.5 rounds to 1 inch so we can officially report snow cover on the summit in our METAR reports. Maybe that is not the beginning of winter up here, but it is coming pretty close to it.
Yesterday afternoon the State started to take down their office equipment and paperwork. The State's Gift Shop is just about cleaned out, and there are still a few items left in the food concession, but don't expect any hot foods if you get up here in the next few days. Our Museum Shop is still open here, and we are doing a great job on selling hats and mittens to various folks.
We are also entering that part of the year when '4 wheel drive with chains all around' is the response when the question is asked over the radio 'how is it up there.' The State chained up yesterday and had no problems getting down. Last night's snowfall (only about 0.8 inches) probably covered the road quite a ways down, and there will likely be some snow on the Road below tree line this morning, but that will not slow down the heavy trucks. Passenger cars are something else. We might see them later today or tomorrow, but certainly not early this morning. A little sand, and some sunshine, will clear off the Road quickly. When we do come into the clear, the view up to the mountain from the valley should be quite pretty. As we've been saying to the new Intern lately: 'get your camera rook' (short for rookie) because the rime ice, snow covered rocks, blue sky and beautiful sights are worth getting outside to capture that Kodak moment.
Ken Rancourt – Meteorologist
If it is not winter up here 'climatologically', it certain is by the looks of things. Last night we were below freezing, and in the fog, so lots of Rime Ice built up on everything. Mother Nature also gave us some light snow, snow grains, and with the higher winds after midnight, we also saw some blowing snow.
The Cog Railway and Auto Road are still open, weather dependent of course, and the State is finishing up with their Gift Shop and Food Concession. With early morning icing it takes a while to get the Auto Road open for private cars, but many made it to the top yesterday as the relatively strong sunshine melted all that had accumulated earlier.
This is certainly the time of year for hikers to be cautious: at Pinkham this morning (the location from which many hikers begin their ascent on the mountain) the temperature was a mild 38 degrees. With a 20 degree drop in temperature as you get higher (our temperature at the same observing time was a measured 18) it can get cold rather quickly. Our wind chill temperature is at -6F ---- and that is not a number to ignore.
Ken Rancourt – Meteorologist
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An icy and snowy morning
What a beautiful morning! The seasons up here certainly are changing: we had a mix of wintery precipitation last night-- light rain showers, light rain, light freeezing rain, light ice pellets, glazing (all before midnight), then light snow and blowing snow for a while early this morning.
The fog was breaking up at sunrise, and now we can see scattered valley fog off to the west, and clouds both above and below the summit to the east. The sun was just cresting over the clouds to the east during the last observation, and I expect the higher summits to remain in the clear the rest of today.
Bryan Farr, one of our Fall Interns, had the task at suppertime last night to forecast the time at which we would go below freezing (he guessed 11PM). We went below freezing just a little while after that so he really did a pretty good job of it. We've probably dropped to the lowest temperature so far (16.3F) and will continune to warm as the sun gets higher in the sky.
On the Deck Cam shot you can see some Rime Ice on the deck, with a little ridge of snow piled up under the railing over by the Rotunda. Not the depths of winter yet, but we are getting there!
Ken Rancourt – Meteorologist
What a beautiful morning! The seasons up here certainly are changing: we had a mix of wintery precipitation last night-- light rain showers, light rain, light freeezing rain, light ice pellets, glazing (all before midnight), then light snow and blowing snow for a while early this morning.
The fog was breaking up at sunrise, and now we can see scattered valley fog off to the west, and clouds both above and below the summit to the east. The sun was just cresting over the clouds to the east during the last observation, and I expect the higher summits to remain in the clear the rest of today.
Bryan Farr, one of our Fall Interns, had the task at suppertime last night to forecast the time at which we would go below freezing (he guessed 11PM). We went below freezing just a little while after that so he really did a pretty good job of it. We've probably dropped to the lowest temperature so far (16.3F) and will continune to warm as the sun gets higher in the sky.
On the Deck Cam shot you can see some Rime Ice on the deck, with a little ridge of snow piled up under the railing over by the Rotunda. Not the depths of winter yet, but we are getting there!
Ken Rancourt – Meteorologist
Changes, changes, changes. If you don't like the weather just wait a minute! When I began my shift three hours ago we were in dense fog, moderate rain, and had relatively high winds. By 8 this morning we are in the clear, there are lots of 'neat' clouds below the summit, and the winds have dropped off considerably.
There are two low pressure centers just to our south (one over Boston, the other over Portsmouth) and they will move up through Maine and the Gulf of Maine later today. When that happens things will change again: temps will definitely fall into the mid 20's and the winds will shift and will rise up to the 60's. So, I guess you could say that things will be changing...
Winter may be just around the corner for the higher elevations as there is a chance of snow showers for later tonight. If nothing else, by tomorrow morning we should see some rime ice accumulations on the summit.
Ken Rancourt – Meteorologist
The summit has, in effect, been a desert for the past three days. With strong subsidence beneath a massive ridge of high pressure the air was compressed and warmed. There was no feed of moisture from any direction as winds were nearly calm through a considerable portion of the lower atmosphere. The result was progressively lowering relative humidity values which bottomed out last night at 1.4%.
Let me say that again, 1.4%.
That is extreme.
What is even more impressive, between the 4 am and 5 am observations, subsidence ended which allowed the temperature to go from 48.5 degrees Fahrenheit with humidity of 4.2% down to 41.3 degrees Fahrenheit with humidity of 83%. When I was forecasting this morning, I did not expect us to moisten up as quickly as it did. I was expecting it to gradually rise through the day not shoot up in one hour. But this example illustrates how rapidly the weather can change on the summit and to remind visitors to always be prepared for rapidly changing conditions.
Ryan Knapp – Meteorologist
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Yesterday
The beginning of Columbus Day weekend and the weather is unbelievable. A
great chance to explore without having to worry too too much about the
elements here on top of the mountain. The forecast does not seem
threatening.
As a member/volunteer for the Observatory I can only say how spectacular it
has been. Last night was one of the most glorious sunsets I think I have
ever seen. The sun setting on one side the full moon rising on the other.
I think anyone that is reading this and is not a member should be. Not only
does your membership come with benefits but it supports the great work that
is being done up here. It's a great team here and I can't say enough about
my particular experience this week.
Thank you to Neil, Ryan, Mike, Sharon and Sunshine!
Diane Beland and Harold Kazanj – Summit Volunteer
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Yesterday morning
I’d like to start this comment with a message about our forums located here.
We have tons of visitors to the web site every day yet only a few threads on our forums. I encourage everyone who has an interest about the mountain and our organization to click the link, create a free account, and make an introductory post. Tell us what you think about the place, let us know how the weather was when you visited, or when you’re planning on visiting. Generate some discussion!
Today started off with a great icing event that occurred early in the morning. What was so great about it wasn’t the ice itself, but the clearing skies throughout the day that made the ice glisten and shine. The fog came back up again just now in the evening to give us one last bit of light icing and obscuration before it’s expected to completely dissipate giving us an awesome view of the nearly full moon tonight.
Looking forward to some great weather for this holiday weekend. Come visit us!
Mike Renzi – Summit Intern
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Yesterday morning
I’d like to start this comment with a message about our forums located here: http://www.mountwashington.org/forums/ . We have tons of visitors to the web site every day yet only a few threads on our forums. I encourage everyone who has an interest about the mountain and our organization to click the link, create a free account, and make an introductory post. Tell us what you think about the place, let us know how the weather was when you visited, or when you’re planning on visiting. Generate some discussion!
Today started off with a great icing event that occurred early in the morning. What was so great about it wasn’t the ice itself, but the clearing skies throughout the day that made the ice glisten and shine. The fog came back up again just now in the evening to give us one last bit of light icing and obscuration before it’s expected to completely dissipate giving us an awesome view of the nearly full moon tonight.
Looking forward to some great weather for this holiday weekend. Come visit us!
Mike Renzi – Summit Intern
 "see caption below")
Chrysanthamum.jpg
As I near the end of another wonderful week volunteering at the Mount Washington Observatory, I am melancholy about departing this wonderful experience.
I never get tired of coming to the summit of Mount Washington and cooking for the crew here in exchange for the opportunity it affords me in photography as well as personal growth and respite time.
As I was walking around the summit today I was thinking of the vast difference in weather from day to day. Not just day to day but sometimes hour to hour. That’s part of the fun of being here. Yes, it’s certainly nice to have the clear days. When you get them they are a gift. However, whatever weather conditions present themselves while I am here I make the best of it; for there is always something interesting that comes out of my adventure up here.
I enjoy meeting the observers and interns that are here. Each brings a fresh perspective to what they are doing and I learn a little more each time I come up. They are primarily graduate students and other young people looking for a career in the field of meteorology or other form of weather science. They are young, bright individuals that I have a lot of respect for. This job while it may be fun and interesting for them is also a tremendous responsibility and can sometimes be grueling. Such as having to shovel 8’ of snow from the fire escape, or having to go out in hurricane force winds and below freezing temperatures to deice equipment so that they can get accurate readings.
In the few days that I’ve been here I’ve seen snow, sleet, rhyme ice formations, fog, rain, below freezing temperatures, warm temperatures, hurricane force winds and mild breezes. That’s the beauty and majesty of this mountain.
So, as I prepare for my decent tomorrow I am already looking forward to my next trip up.
By profession I am a photographer and being here is like the Disneyland of Photography for me. No matter how many photographs have been taken of this area, there is always new perspective to be found.
These photos you see here are just few of many:
The Cog
The summit
More of the summit
The tower
and of course Nin
More photos are available at
Photography by Katherine
PS: I can’t forget Nin. Of course being with the most famous cat in the world is an honor within itself.
Katherine MacDonald – Summit Volunteer
Back on September 4th I posted a comment photo of a bird perched on the window sill at night. (The comments are archived, so feel free to go back and look.) I didn't say much about the feathered visitor then but I am now. And yes, the information is still timely...a couple nights ago the same type of bird was again at the window. When I got off shift that early September week to spend some time with my AMC friends, one of them passed this on:
The Blackpoll Warbler (Dendroica striata) here is either a female or adult in fall plumage. These warblers are neotropical migrants breeding at lower elevations. In preparation for the long journey south, they will often stage at the higher summits or head to the coast first. A few things could have acted as attractors to our window - the light, their reflection in the glass, insects near the window and warmth emanating from inside. This particular bird might also have been flying south and got caught in poor weather involving south winds.
This information came from Brian, the naturalist at the AMC's Highland Center in Crawford Notch. It came to me via Tamar, the naturalist down in Pinkham Notch.
That night I didn't observer either of the two birds eating anything. The wind and the weather were too rough for insects. And probably too rough for flying birds. Rather than fight the wind, sometimes it's worth stopping for a rest. At the end of the day on Sept 3rd, winds were in fact from the south at 23-30 mph. During the evening they'd been SE at 35-45mph. The morning of the 4th, winds shifted west and dropped into the teens, but by that point our birds were hunkered down. There was no precipitation, but fog wet enough to soak anything outdoors. I believe it is safe to say these birds were waiting out the weather.
As to the warmth and light from the building - that is true. As to looking in the mirror - I'm pretty confident that these birds understood the concept of glass because Nin didn't scare 'em a bit. Again thanks to the naturalists for the information and deductive reasoning and thanks to Bob Steele for more photos.
Jon Cotton – Observer
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LL Bean Red
Today the summit got hammered. If you looked at the forecast today and then visited, you know the difference in what happened. The rain forecast for the state was easy. At the higher elevations the type of precipitation to expect became trickier to determine. All the models had us in the mid 30s with the freezing level about 800 feet above us through the day. We were supposed to go above freezing and confidently stay that way through the night. The hesitation was how cold would the air be above the summit and would there be enough warmth to thaw the precip into rain. The odds were high in the favor of rain. It was clear however that we were right on the border.
A forecast is a planning tool. "What am I likely to expect from the weather today and how can I be prepared for it". Above treeline in the transition seasons it is critical to be appropriately equipped. With such a borderline of temperature and precipitation, the safe call was for "mixed precipitation" meaning liquid and/or frozen.
Day dawned at 33 degrees with rain. By 9am, we were below freezing and the liquid portion was finished for the day. Precip switched to snow and ice pellets, then freezing rain, back to snow, some more ice pellets, then freezing drizzle finished off the set. Around noon the freezing level was around 5600' – quite an important difference from the model predictions. Total snow fall today was .6", water equivalent of everything was .21" and we had multiple encores of both riming and glazing. Yikes. It was a nasty day up here. Oh, our peak wind was 77mph at 1:18 this afternoon. That was a surprise as well. Welcome October.
Our volunteer cook for the week is a photographer. She took these the other day on a walk around the summit.
The Observatory Tower
The Cog Train
Jon Cotton – Observer
OUR PARTNERS
06:40 Tue Oct 31st
Yesterday was simply a hectic, and continued extreme day at the Observatory. After the highest blast to hit the peak in 10 years, winds were very slow to abate. Gusts over 100 mph continued until 5PM yesterday, making it 35 straight hours of winds above 100mph. Temperatures remained in the teens through the day as well, and with winchills below zero throughout the storm, I think this crew is tempered for winter.
Last night conditions took a considerable up tick though. Skies cleared, winds dropped back into the normal 40mph range and temperatures rocketed up into the lower 30s. At 4000 feet on the ARVTP, temps even rose into the 40s, all while the surrounding valleys sit in the 20s. A strong inversion … a good sign of a decent day ahead.
Back to the extreme gusts, I mentioned yesterday that Ryan had deiced the tower in a ‘lull’ shortly after the peak wind gust occurred early Monday morning. I would however be remiss to mention that state park manager Mike Pelchat was also up on the tower with our Observatory crew at the time as well. Mike brought up his video camera, and provided us with the tape yesterday afternoon for a spot on The Weather Channel last night.
This video is not for those prone to motion sickness, but for everyone else…here’s a taste of what members of what the summit staff go through to continue the scientific work of the member-supported Mount Washington Observatory.
Jim Salge – Observer