Mount Washington Observatory

Observation station and nonprofit institution atop Mount Washington, New Hampshire

Mount Washington Observatory

Mount Washington Observatory in 2004

Company type| Private Non-Profit Organization
Genre| Weather Observation and Education
Predecessor| U.S. Signal Service
Founded| 1932 (1932)
Headquarters|

Sargent's Purchase, New Hampshire

United States

Key people

| Executive Director:
Drew Bush
Chair of the Board: Rob Kirsch
Revenue| 1,788,138 United States dollar (2017)
Total assets| 5,678,223 United States dollar (2022)
Website| mountwashington.org

The Mount Washington Observatory (MWObs) is a private, non-profit scientific and educational institution organized under the laws of the state of New Hampshire. The weather observation station is located on the summit of Mount Washington in New Hampshire. The first regular meteorological observations on Mount Washington were conducted by the U.S. Signal Service, a precursor of the Weather Bureau, from 1870 to 1892.

## History

[edit]

The original anemometer that measured The Big Wind in 1934 at Mount Washington Observatory

The U.S. Signal Service, a predecessor to the Weather Bureau, occupied the summit and kept records from 1870 to 1892. Starting in 1932, the current observatory began keeping records. On April 12, 1934, the observatory staff recorded a wind gust of 231 mph[1] that at the time was the highest recorded wind speed in the world, a record that was held until 1996. The observatory's weather data have accumulated into a valuable climate record since. Temperature and humidity readings have been collected using a sling psychrometer, a simple device containing two mercury thermometers. Where most unstaffed weather stations have undergone technology upgrades, consistent use of the sling psychrometer has helped provide scientific precision to the Mount Washington climate record.

The observatory makes prominent use of the slogan "Home of the World's Worst Weather", a claim that originated with a 1940 article by Charles Brooks (the man generally given the majority of credit for creating the Mount Washington Observatory), titled "The Worst Weather In the World" (even though the article concluded that Mt. Washington most likely did not have the world's worst weather). The Sherman Adams summit building, named for the 67th Governor of New Hampshire, houses the observatory; it is closed to the public during the winter and hikers are not allowed inside the building except for emergencies and pre-arranged guided tours.[2][3][4]

## Climatic data

[edit]

Climate data for Mount Washington, elev. 6,267 ft (1,910.2 m) near the summit (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1933–present)

Month  | Jan  | Feb  | Mar  | Apr  | May  | Jun  | Jul  | Aug  | Sep  | Oct  | Nov  | Dec  | Year
Record high °F (°C)  | 48
(9)  | 48
(9)  | 54
(12)  | 60
(16)  | 66
(19)  | 72
(22)  | 71
(22)  | 72
(22)  | 69
(21)  | 62
(17)  | 52
(11)  | 47
(8)  | 72
(22)
Mean maximum °F (°C)  | 38.7
(3.7)  | 35.6
(2.0)  | 40.8
(4.9)  | 49.0
(9.4)  | 58.8
(14.9)  | 64.5
(18.1)  | 65.4
(18.6)  | 64.2
(17.9)  | 61.4
(16.3)  | 53.8
(12.1)  | 45.8
(7.7)  | 39.8
(4.3)  | 67.2
(19.6)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)  | 14.9
(−9.5)  | 14.8
(−9.6)  | 20.8
(−6.2)  | 30.7
(−0.7)  | 42.5
(5.8)  | 51.4
(10.8)  | 55.3
(12.9)  | 54.2
(12.3)  | 49.1
(9.5)  | 37.7
(3.2)  | 28.4
(−2.0)  | 20.1
(−6.6)  | 35.0
(1.7)
Daily mean °F (°C)  | 5.8
(−14.6)  | 5.9
(−14.5)  | 12.9
(−10.6)  | 23.7
(−4.6)  | 36.3
(2.4)  | 45.5
(7.5)  | 49.9
(9.9)  | 48.7
(9.3)  | 43.1
(6.2)  | 31.3
(−0.4)  | 20.8
(−6.2)  | 11.8
(−11.2)  | 28.0
(−2.2)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)  | −3.2
(−19.6)  | −3.0
(−19.4)  | 4.9
(−15.1)  | 16.7
(−8.5)  | 30.2
(−1.0)  | 39.6
(4.2)  | 44.5
(6.9)  | 43.2
(6.2)  | 37.1
(2.8)  | 24.9
(−3.9)  | 13.1
(−10.5)  | 3.5
(−15.8)  | 21.0
(−6.1)
Mean minimum °F (°C)  | −28.6
(−33.7)  | −25.2
(−31.8)  | −19.4
(−28.6)  | −1.1
(−18.4)  | 14.0
(−10.0)  | 25.7
(−3.5)  | 34.4
(1.3)  | 31.4
(−0.3)  | 21.3
(−5.9)  | 8.3
(−13.2)  | −5.8
(−21.0)  | −20.8
(−29.3)  | −32.3
(−35.7)
Record low °F (°C)  | −47
(−44)  | −47
(−44)  | −38
(−39)  | −20
(−29)  | −2
(−19)  | 8
(−13)  | 24
(−4)  | 20
(−7)  | 9
(−13)  | −5
(−21)  | −26
(−32)  | −46
(−43)  | −47
(−44)
Average precipitation inches (mm)  | 5.74
(146)  | 5.45
(138)  | 6.72
(171)  | 7.31
(186)  | 7.68
(195)  | 8.59
(218)  | 8.93
(227)  | 7.72
(196)  | 7.66
(195)  | 9.99
(254)  | 8.09
(205)  | 7.35
(187)  | 91.23
(2,317)
Average snowfall inches (cm)  | 41.4
(105)  | 43.3
(110)  | 46.2
(117)  | 33.1
(84)  | 12.9
(33)  | 1.3
(3.3)  | 0.0
(0.0)  | 0.1
(0.25)  | 1.2
(3.0)  | 19.0
(48)  | 35.6
(90)  | 47.7
(121)  | 281.8
(716)
Average extreme snow depth inches (cm)  | 14.1
(36)  | 16.3
(41)  | 17.6
(45)  | 14.5
(37)  | 6.1
(15)  | 0.5
(1.3)  | 0.0
(0.0)  | 0.0
(0.0)  | 0.3
(0.76)  | 5.7
(14)  | 8.3
(21)  | 12.7
(32)  | 21.0
(53)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 20.0  | 18.3  | 19.7  | 18.3  | 17.4  | 17.6  | 17.5  | 15.5  | 13.7  | 18.1  | 19.2  | 21.0  | 216.3
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 19.6  | 18.1  | 18.0  | 14.1  | 6.5  | 1.2  | 0.2  | 0.2  | 1.3  | 9.9  | 15.1  | 19.7  | 123.9
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 92.0  | 106.9  | 127.6  | 143.2  | 171.3  | 151.3  | 145.0  | 130.5  | 127.2  | 127.1  | 82.4  | 83.1  | 1,487.6
Percentage possible sunshine | 32  | 36  | 34  | 35  | 37  | 33  | 31  | 30  | 34  | 37  | 29  | 30  | 33
Source 1: NOAA (sun 1961–1990)[5][6][7]
Source 2: Mount Washington Observatory (extremes 1933–present)[8]

## Partners

[edit]

The Mount Washington Observatory receives much of its support from contributing members. However, over the years the MWObs has also come to receive support from several company and organizational partners,[4] including L.L. Bean, Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS), Cranmore Mountain Resort, the Mt. Washington Auto Road, and the Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce. In 2011, EMS replaced L.L. Bean as the official outfitter of the Observatory.[9]

The United States Postal Service maintains a small post office for outgoing mail, located in the Sherman Adams building at the summit; the ZIP Code is 03589.[10]

## See also

[edit]

* Mount Washington State Park
* Blue Hill Observatory

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Mount Washington Observatory | World Record Wind | Mount Washington Observatory". mountwashington.org. Archived from the original on March 17, 2018.
2. ^ Allen Press "The Mount Washington Weather Observatory - 50 Years Old"
3. ^ "Worst Weather in the World by Charles F. Brooks". www.davidalbeck.com. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
4. ^ a b Mount Washington Observatory.
5. ^ "NOWData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
6. ^ "Station: MT WASHINGTON, NH". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
7. ^ "WMO Climate Normals for MOUNT WASHINGTON, NH 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on May 25, 2017. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
8. ^ "Mount Washington Observatory: Normals, Means and Extreme". Mount Washington Observatory. Archived from the original on November 26, 2024. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
9. ^ "Mount Washington Observatory and Eastern Mountain Sports Forge New Multi-Year Partnership" (Press release). January 3, 2011.
10. ^ Rogers, Barbara Radcliffe (May 9, 2019). "A trip to the Mt. Washington summit". nhmagazine.com. Retrieved August 28, 2019.

## Further reading

[edit]

Boucher, Norman (February 24, 1981). "How Cold Was It?: Five Days at the Mount Washington Observatory". The Boston Phoenix. Retrieved February 22, 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* Mount Washington Observatory
* The Meteorologial Records of the Mount Washington Observatory at Dartmouth College Library

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* United States

44°16′13″N 71°18′12″W﻿ / ﻿44.27028°N 71.30333°W﻿ / 44.27028; -71.30333