Lake Region News

"Some of the wildest weather ever recorded.”
“INSANE conditions on Mt. Washington, NH.”

“Live feed from Hell.”  

New Hampshire’s Mount Washington garnered international attention when an Arctic air mass gripped the Northeast over February 3–4. Plymouth State’s proximity to the mountain and longstanding ties with its renowned observatory are assets that no other meteorology program can claim.

The big chill hit the record books as one of the coldest air masses ever to hit New Hampshire since observation began in 1870.

“What was highly unusual was the cold combined with the wind,” says Professor Eric Kelsey. At around 4 a.m. on February 4, a -47° F temperature was recorded, matching the Mount Washington Observatory’s (MWOBS) record low set in January 1934. Wind gusts of 120 mph and higher drove the wind chill below -100° F for 15 hours, and a reading of -108 marked the nation’s lowest wind chill ever recorded.

Mount Washington boasts some of the planet’s most extreme weather, which makes it a prime spot for meteorological research. Cities and towns, forest clearing, and other human modifications influence most meteorological readings, but the mountain summit is relatively unchanged. “That’s the value of the observatory,” explains Kelsey. “It’s essentially a thermometer that’s stuck up in the wind, providing a pure, unadulterated measurement.”

PSU’s on-going relationship with the nonprofit MWOBS began in the 1990s and features internship opportunities and regular field trips that bring students to the summit. Kelsey previously served as the observatory’s director of research and Professor Lourdes Avilés, program chair of climate studies, meteorology, and physics, is an observatory trustee.

“This was certainly a cold air mass for the ages in New Hampshire,” says Kelsey, a Granite State native. He points out, however, that the intense conditions of the Northeast’s highest peak often aren’t mirrored at lower elevations. The town of Plymouth, for example, is a mere 40 miles away but recorded a low temperature of -16 while the summit bottomed out some 30 degrees below that.  

MWOBS Weather Observer and Education Specialist Francis Tarasiewicz (in the middle above during the record-setting weekend) provided some 25 media interviews in 24 hours to major media outlets such as the BBC, Fox, and the New York Times. A former graduate student in Plymouth State’s applied meteorology program, he credits the University for his communication and forecasting skills.

“Plymouth provided the tools for scientific and professional development,” says Tarasiewicz. “It’s a small university but there are great opportunities there.”

Tarasiewicz’s duties include conducting a dozen observations during his 12-hour days, along with three broadcasts and research. His “all other duties as assigned” has also included shoveling out the observation tower in 80 mile per hour winds.

“Mount Washington is in a really unique spot relative to the jet stream and the Atlantic Ocean, among other factors,” Tarasiewicz says. He cites involvement with MWOBS’s important research, particularly regarding climate change, among the many benefits of his position.

The event was a real-time, real-life learning opportunity for PSU students. “About a week ahead we watched models and trends in classes, and it was pretty clear that this polar outbreak was going to happen,” says Tommy House ’23. House worked as a freelance meteorologist last fall with Charlie Lopresti ’00, chief meteorologist of WGME-TV in Portland, ME. Lopresti previously served as staff meteorologist at the Mount Washington Observatory.

“Plymouth is in the best location, an hour and a half car ride from the observatory, one of the most well-respected research centers,” House says. “I really value the observatory, and PSU’s program gives us the tools to be better researchers in the meteorology field.”

“Having that connection is really valuable,” adds Marissa Vigevani ’23, president of the University’s chapter of the American Meteorological Society. The group’s activities have included a hike up Mount Washington, where they met up with Tarasiewicz and got an insider’s tour of the observatory.

As students in PSU’s Forecasting/Broadcast Practicum, Vigevani and House’s forecasts are viewed on local public access television and they post to social media and YouTube. Vigevani’s forecast prior to the Arctic outbreak was spot-on, as she accurately predicted the plunge in temperature and warned viewers to button up and keep pets indoors.  

Mount Washington Observatory

INSANE conditions on Mt. Washington (Twitter video)

PM Weather (Produced by the meteorology students at PSU)

Original source can be found here.