Mount
Washington, in New Hampshire, is the highest peak in Northeastern United States
and the most prominent mountain east of the Mississippi River. Before the
European settlers arrived, the natives called the mountain Agiocochook, or
"Home of the Great Spirit". Today, it is better known as the
"Home of the World's Worst Weather.”
Mount
Washington is located in the temperate climate zone but has Arctic-like
conditions. Extreme cold, year-round snowfall, dense fog, heavy icing, and
exceptional winds are some of Mount Washington's prominent features. The peak
isn’t terribly high either — just 6,288 feet — yet it endures some of the
planet’s most extreme weather comparable to those experienced on top of Mount
Everest or on the South Pole.
The
weather station atop Mount Washington is chained down to prevent it from being
blown away. The lowest temperature ever recorded at Mount Washington's summit
is −46.0 °C. Only the South Pole is colder. The highest wind speed recorded
here was 231 miles per hour (372 km/h) which remained the fastest wind speed
ever recorded anywhere on earth, for most of the 20th century, besting even the
most fierce hurricanes. The peak is blasted by hurricane-force wind on an
average of 110 days a year which further lowers the wind chill value. On
January 16, 2004, the summit registered a temperature of −42.0 °C and sustained
winds of 87.5 mph (140.8 km/h), resulting in a wind chill value of −74.77 °C.
Mount
Washington’s extreme weather is due to its geographic location. The peak stands
on the path of several storms, mainly those from the Atlantic to the south, the
Gulf region and Pacific Northwest. The vertical rise of the Presidential Range,
combined with its north-south orientation, makes it a significant barrier to
westerly winds. In the winter months, due to the relative temperature
differences between the Northeast and the Atlantic Ocean, a low-pressure system
develops along the coastline which generates ferocious gusts of wind.
For
nearly sixty-two years, Mount Washington held the world record for the fastest
wind gust ever recorded on the surface of the Earth. On April 12, 1934,
researchers at the Mount Washington Observatory recorded wind speeds of 231
miles per hour. The record was toppled in 1996 when an unmanned instrument
station in Barrow Island, Australia recorded a new record of 253 miles per hour
during Typhoon Olivia. The primary building of Mount Washington Observatory
built on the summit in 1932, as well as many structures of the observatory, are
actually chained to the ground to prevent these structures from being blown
away.
Mount
Washington also receives very high levels of precipitation. Snowfall occurs
almost throughout the year averaging 280 inches a year. In February 1969, a
record 49.3 inches of snow fell during a single 24-hour period. These erratic
weather condition prompted Charles Brooks, the man behind the creation of the
Mount Washington Observatory, to call Mount Washington as "Home of the
World's Worst Weather" — a slogan the observatory makes prominent use of.
The
peak and the observatory are a popular tourist spot as well. The mountain is
part of a popular hiking area, with the Appalachian Trail crossing the summit,
that brings in many adventurists to the area. The high winds has also made the
region a popular site for glider flying. For those who aren’t into hiking,
there is a cog railway that provides tourists with a train journey to the
summit of Mount Washington.
The
Tip-Top House, located near the summit, originally began as a hotel. It has
walls as thick as eight feet to keep the travelers warm inside. It is now a
museum.
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