[at-l] Weather near record at Mt. Washington

[rockdancer97 at comcast.net (Arthur Gaudet)]

At 4:30 this morning it was -26 F with winds 88-96 mph on the summit. Windchill
at -76 F.

In the last 24 hours it's reached -30 F with 112 mph. The wind chill is off the
chart.
"Today will be another brutally cold day across the region as the last of the
arctic air remains in place for one more day."

>From Pinkham, at 8:30 this morning, comes these warning words for those
interested in hiking today:
Although there are definitely avalanche issues to be concerned with, the hazard
that will affect everyone on the mountain today is the arctic weather. Not even
a single day during 2005 rivaled the cold air that has taken hold of the
mountain in the last 36 hours. Even though we're beyond the coldest period now
the wind-chill up top is still -59F! Winds will continue to blow strong all day
and we won't climb above 0F(-18C) until tomorrow. I cannot overstate the threat
that these conditions pose to an unprepared or unlucky mountain-goer. If you
drop a mitten and don't have a spare you will likely lose your hand. Any
seemingly insignificant mistake can have fatal consequences in this weather.
Yesterday we were absolutely blown away by the numbers of ill-prepared visitors.
There seems to be a benevolent aspect of the mountain as we saw a number of
folks clad in sneakers and cotton sweatshirts who were not frozen stiff. I
almost felt like an overdressed wimp watching people head for the alpine zone
with summer hiking boots, ski poles and a seemingly empty book bag. Even a
slight drop in your core temperature will cause you to lose good judgment and
start acting like a bumbling fool. You can only tempt fate for so long before
nature has you for breakfast. Think through your plans carefully today, realize
there is no room for mistakes, and reconsider above treeline travel unless you
are absolutely prepared with skill, experience, and the right equipment.

I'll be reading "Views from the Top" tomorrow to see if everyone got through the
day OK. --Arthur