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Mt. Washington is a spicy place. The first regular meteorological observations on Mount Washington were conducted by the U.S. Signal Service, a precursor of th
by hprotagonist 4y ago
Mt. Washington is a spicy place.
The first regular meteorological observations on Mount Washington were conducted by the U.S. Signal Service, a precursor of the National Weather Service, from 1870 to 1892. The Mount Washington station was the first of its kind in the world, setting an example followed in many other countries. For many years, the record low temperature was thought to be −47 °F (−43.9 °C) occurring on January 29, 1934, but upon the first in-depth examination of the data from the 19th century at NOAA's National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, North Carolina, a new record low was discovered. Mount Washington's official record low of −50 °F (−45.6 °C) was recorded on January 22, 1885. The official record low daily maximum is −28 °F (−33.3 °C) on February 6, 1995.[18] Highs of 0 °F (−18 °C) or below occur on 13 days annually, while lows at or below 0 °F can be expected from November 17 through April 1; from December to March, temperatures rise above freezing on only 15 days.
“Not Without Peril” makes for some harrowing reading. https://amcstore.outdoors.org/products/not-without-peril-tenth-anniversary-edition-1 https://amcstore.outdoors.org/products/not-without-peril-ten...
“From the days when gentlefolk ascended in hoop skirts and wool suits to today's high-tech assaults on wintry summits, this book offers extensive and intimate profiles of people who found trouble on New Hampshire's Presidential Range, from the nineteenth century through the present day.“
- bmitc 4y agoWhat is it about Mount Washington that makes its weather so violently dynamic?
- hammock 4y agoExposure. There are 75mph+ winds at the top pretty much constantly and it’s the highest point around especially facing northwest
- vanilla_nut 4y agoApparently three major air streams pass right over the northeast, and it's the highest point (by a fair margin) east of the Mississippi. So it essentially gets a direct "hit" of speedy air that's been uninterrupted for thousands of miles, from multiple angles.
- jcranmer 4y ago> highest point (by a fair margin) east of the Mississippi. That's Mount Mitchell--6684 ft versus Washington's 6288 ft. Washington is slightly more prominent than Mitchell (6148 versus 6089).
- vanilla_nut 4y agoSorry, my mistake! Thank you for correcting this.
- bandrade 4y agoMt Mitchell in North Carolina is the highest peak east of the Mississippi. Mt. Washington is the most prominent.
- decohen 4y agoMount Washington sits at the end of a long, wide east-west running valley, in an area with predominantly western winds. This gives the wind an unusually long "fetch" to build strength over. That, combined with the orographic lift as the air flows over the mountain, leads to unusually strong winds.
- vanilla_nut 4y agoThe hut at the top is (wo)manned at all times. They make some pretty fun videos from time to time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IE3CfSCt7fg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IE3CfSCt7fg (this "breakfast" video is my favorite, but they have a lot of fun with the resident cat as well).
- hammock 4y agoThe AMC clubs around Mt Washington like the Joe Dodge Lodge and Hermit Lake are amazing. I stayed at the lodge and skied up to Tuckerman Ravine recently. The history just on the walls and in the library is incredible, wild to see photos from 70 years ago with more folks skiing Tucks than than there are even today. Also the hospitality and meals are great
- vanilla_nut 4y agoDisclaimer: unless I'm remembering wrong, you need Avalanche training to ski Tuckerman Ravine. One of the few places in the Northeast where that's necessary!
- iamthepieman 4y agoYou don't need it. No one is checking. In the spring, it's pretty safe. Definitely want avalanche gear and training if you go in the middle of winter though. Amanoosuc ravine on the other side of My Washington is another place you face avalanches. An experienced Backcountry skier died there a few years ago after being buried under 13 feet of snow during an avalanche. Kings ravine on Adams and a few other places in the White Mountains are also known for high risk avalanches.