Higher Summits Forecast

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Carl

Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2008
Messages
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Location
Oxford, ME
The National Weather Service announced yesterday that it is considering discontinuing or changing the NH and Maine higher summits forecast. It’s an important resource for hikers/climbers during the winter. Attached is a link to their announcement.

They are asking for public feedback before making a decision. Emails can be directed to [email protected].

I would encourage anyone that values the service to make their wishes known. :)

Carl
 
Does the Mt. Washington Observatory use the information to prepare their higher summits forecast? Is it the same forecast? Could the observatory create their own forecast without the help of NOAA?
 
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From what I gather this is in reference to the text version of the higher summits forecast that NOAA posts on it's website. I don't *think* this will affect the MWO higher summit forecast but one never knows. I sent an email to the listed contact for good measure just to be sure.
 
If it affects the MWO it's a fairly huge deal I'd think. I'm guessing they would have put that notice on their website already if it was. I'm guessing they do it independently, but I'm only speculating.
 
...and they're asking not only for input on continuing, but on how it can be improved. Quite a bit of good potential here.
 
Thanks for posting this..Stacies address sounds so garbled coming over my weather radio and i could not get it right. This is an important service I think and the forecast could be expanded greatly to help skiers and other than Mount Washington hikers...Lots of potential
 
Thanks for posting this..Stacies address sounds so garbled coming over my weather radio and i could not get it right. This is an important service I think and the forecast could be expanded greatly to help skiers and other than Mount Washington hikers...Lots of potential

I agree -- and I sent Stacie a message at her contact e-mail address ([email protected]) to lend my support to continuing the service.

Every bit helps...

(Thanks, Carl, too, for posting the original message.)
 
I have been unable to find a text version of the forecast on the NWS website. Anyone care to share a link?
 
One other nice bonus about the NOAA higher summits forecast...

...is that it's usually available around 2:00 or 2:30 am that day, while the MWO higher summits forecast doesn't appear until a few hours later.

Sort of nice to have that information available earlier, rather than later, to aid in trip planning.
 
That is the public info for Maine.

Perhaps you want the Recreational Report for NH and ME? http://www.crh.noaa.gov/product.php...C&format=CI&version=1&glossary=1&highlight=on

The Mt Washington Observatory version: http://www.mountwashington.org/weather/summit_forecast.php

Intellecast has a Mt Washington report and forecast: http://www.intellicast.com/Local/Weather.aspx?location=USNH0154

AccuWeather also has a Mt Washington report and forecast: http://www.accuweather.com/m/en-us/NAM/US/NH/Mount Washington/00176/Quick-Look.aspx

Links for NWS (text) forecasts:
by States: http://www.weather.gov/view/states.php
NH: http://www.weather.gov/view/states.php?state=NH
ME: http://www.weather.gov/view/states.php?state=ME
I find the state forecasts, the zone forecasts, and the weather summaries to be the most useful. If a summary is blank, try a near-by state. For instance, the summaries for NH are issued from Grey, ME, so if the NH summary is blank you can often find the info in the ME summary.

Doug
 
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Answer

From Observer and meteorologist Brian Clark of the MWObs:

1. People should do exactly what the announcement is asking and give the NWS their feedback. Obviously let them know if you use it and how, but also let them know if you don't and use ours instead.

2. I know there are several people on this forum that also participate in the VFTT forums. I'm looking for one of those people to post in that thread (since I can't) and clear up the obvious confusion and/or misconceptions that people have about the 36 hour higher summits outlook the Observatory produces. The people on VFTT seem to think that our forecast is either a reproduction of the NWS forecast or that they are somehow related. Of course, neither of those points are true. We create the forecast that we produce from scratch. Also, our forecast is for 36 hours (NWS' is only for 12) and we are confident that are forecast is generally more accurate because of the fact that the Observatory's meteorologists and observers know the weather on the mountain better than a forecaster in Gray, ME does.

People should note the MWObs non-profit status and that they produce the higher summits forecast at no cost to the hiking (and mountain) community. It is my personal choice to support them in any way I can.

KDT
 
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