The maximum depth (essentially, how deep the accumulation gets) also dropped by 38 inches. The research found Pinkham Notch lost several inches of snow during each decade of study compared to the decade before, ending in a loss of 68 inches of snowfall over the study period. That means over a period of 84 years, the two locations lost more than two weeks of frost conditions, and saw an increasing amount of thaw days - when the minimum temperature of the day is above 0 degrees celsius. The study is the first comprehensive analysis of the records collected at the observatory and at Pinkham Notch in 15 years, including data from 1935 to 2018. It found the annual average temperatures went up 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit at Mount Washington during that time period, and 2.1 degrees at Pinkham Notch. "The people that started observing this were just interested in mountain weather, and didn't realize this old data would eventually become a climate dataset." "We're really sitting on a mountain of data," said Georgia Murray, the staff scientist at the Appalachian Mountain Club who led the analysis. The observatory is like a permanent weather balloon, and the only one at this elevation in the region. Their work provides a unique dataset that you can't get anywhere else. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR) Meteorologist and weather observer Jay Broccolo explains the current weather patterns at the Mount Washington Observatory. "But those are the things that make you feel everything, and make you really enjoy your job." On the roof of the observatory, weather observer Jackie Bellefontaine spins a sling psychrometer to measure relative humidity. "It's emotionally high and emotionally low at times," said Jay Broccolo, a meteorologist and observer. The observers also go outside every hour to complete their observations - regardless of the conditions. Sometimes, that shift gets even longer, if the weather makes visibility at the summit so poor the snowcat they use for transit cannot safely make it up for the shift change. Bellefontaine and the other observers live at the summit in weeklong shifts, from Wednesday to Wednesday. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)ĭespite the excitement, it's a difficult job. "Someone could tell you a 100 mile per hour wind, and it's kind of thrilling to go out and actually experience what it feels like." Science and education director Brian Fitzgerald holds open the door at the top of the weather tower at the Mount Washington Observatory. "It's a lot of fun - every day is different, every shift is different," said Jackie Bellefontaine, a weather observer and education specialist at the observatory. Today, Fitzgerald oversees a team of scientists who record the weather hourly, calculate forecasts and conduct their own research projects. The observatory was founded in 1932, and the earliest logbook of daily weather data is dated 1935.
It relied on exhaustive weather observations collected at the Mount Washington Observatory and at Pinkham Notch. The study is the first time researchers have definitively proven the temperature rise due to climate change. "There's something happening, there's a trend." Low clouds approach Mount Washington. "It's not just up to random chance, that it may fluctuate year to year,"said Brian Fitzgerald, director of science and education at the Mount Washington Observatory. The findings could have significant repercussions for local ecosystems and industries that call the White Mountains home. A recent study from the Appalachian Mountain Club found the summit of Mount Washington and the nearby mountain pass Pinkham Notch (elev. And the weather can change suddenly, catching many hikers off guard.īut Mount Washington's weather is starting to significantly shift because of climate change. At 6,288 feet, the weather is often freezing, even in spring. The mountain, the highest peak in the northeast, has long held the record for the fastest wind gust ever recorded by a human - 231 mph on April 12, 1934. Mount Washington in New Hampshire is famous for some of the world's worst weather. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR) This article is more than 1 year old. The weather tower at the Mount Washington Observatory.
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