A detailed study of the April observational data for the Mt. Washington area over the past 45 years

The Mt. Washington Icing Sensors Project (MWISP) was conducted in April 1999 to gather remotely sensed and in situ data for the purpose of trying to "see" areas of aircraft icing potential. April was selected for this month-long study because it appeared to offer the best overall conditions for conducting this multi-agency field program. The campaign was quite successful, but there was some doubt among participants about how normal this month really was. There was also a need for additional information on this and other potential months in anticipation of future studies in the region.

In order to gather these additional data, the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and Plymouth State College (PSC) initiated a collaborative research effort to catalog synoptic weather and climate conditions for Mt. Washington and the surrounding area. Data were collected for the region going back to 1955. The team used NCAR/NCEP reanalysis fields, daily weather charts, and observational data for the region (including cooperative station data)to establish the frequency and tracks of extratropical cyclones moving through the area and establish a synoptic baseline.

This study is still in progress and April has been the first month completed, but it will be expanded to include as many additional months, as time and resources permit. This paper will report on the synoptic climatology encountered and climatic variability encountered for the months that were studied.