This morning, the temperature on the summit of Mount Washington, NH, briefly dipped under freezing, ensuing within the first ice since early June and the primary snowflakes of the season.
“This morning, the summit is seeing temperatures dip under freezing for the primary time since early June and we have now additionally noticed the primary glaze ice & snowflakes of the 2023/24 season. The ice/snow will probably be restricted to above 6000 ft and is anticipated to soften shortly. Nevertheless, Thursday will stay chilly and windy on the upper terrain, so pack/costume such as you would for an autumn hike.”
– MWObs
Whereas accumulations had been gentle and transient, it’s a reminder that winter climate can happen throughout any season on the summit and is an indication that extra chilly and ice is correct across the nook.
Mount Washington has the second-fastest wind pace ever recorded on Earth and the fastest wind speed ever recorded by a human at 231 mph (372 kph). Many individuals could surprise how its climate might rival Antarctica, Mount Everest, or the Sahara Desert. It might appear odd that there might be a spot that’s so harsh within the coronary heart of New England, however there are a number of components that make for an ideal storm.
Mount Washington’s Averages and Extremes
- Quickest Wind Velocity: 231 mph (372 kph)
- Avg. Annual Temperature: 27.3˚F (-2.6˚C)
- Document Excessive Temperature: 72˚F (22.2˚C)
- Document Low Temperature: -47˚F (-43.9˚C)
- Common Precipitation: 96.87 in (246.05 cm)
- Document Precipitation: 130.14 in (330.6 cm)
- Common Snowfall: 281.2 in (514.25 cm)
- Document Snowfall: 566.4 in (1,438.66 cm)
Why is the climate there so excessive? North America has three main wind patterns that stream west to east. These three patterns all occur to converge over the White Mountains. Additionally, wind travels unimpeded for a couple of thousand miles earlier than it reaches the height of Mount Washington at 6,288 ft (1,916.6 m). This extraordinarily lengthy fetch implies that excessive winds are fairly typical because the mountain is considerably taller than any surrounding peaks.
The second issue for wind additionally has to do with how tall the mountain is in comparison with its environment. The Presidential Range, of which Mount Washington is the very best peak, runs north/south. With Washington within the middle of the vary, all the climate will get funneled up and over the summit. Because the air flows over the summit, it will get pinched between the height and the tropopause, which is the troposphere’s higher boundary. This is called the Venturi effect. The best manner of visualizing this impact is to think about it as placing your finger over the tip of a backyard hose and having the water pace up because it exits the hose.
Dwelling on the summit, observers from the Mount Washington Observatory preserve observe of the intense surroundings. They take hourly climate readings 24 hours a day, 12 months a yr. With hourly information beginning in 1932, the Observatory has a few of the greatest climate data on this planet. This information is essential in understanding our altering local weather and what we will anticipate sooner or later.
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