Mount Washington

‘It is really freaking cold,' scientist at Mount Washington Observatory says

Subzero temperatures don't deter the scientists working on New England's highest peak

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If you've been thinking the recent weather has been about as cold as it can get, try working at the highest point in New England.

Despite subzero temperatures, scientists at the Mount Washington Observatory are working hard more than 6,000 feet above sea level.

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"It is really freaking cold, I guess is the scientific way to put it," said Charlie Peachey, a weather observer and scientist. "As things start getting below 10 and 20 below zero, it all feels the same level of cold, and that is really freaking cold."

The temperature Wednesday afternoon was a bone-chilling 12 degrees below zero, with a wind chill of about 40 below.

"I like to explain this to my family, as us living in a bunker," he said. "We are rated for 300 mph winds, probably one of the only buildings in the U.S. rated for 300 mph winds."

Peachey works 12-hour shifts Wednesday to Wednesday atop Mount Washington, braving the elements every hour to take measurements and check equipment.

The work on Mount Washington has been going on since the late 1800s, with the observatory officially starting up in 1932. The nonprofit research institution works to track and monitor New England's ever-changing climate.

"That is kind of what drives us," Peachey said. "This is a 92, 93 year plus data set, it is not just me going outside to take a weather observation."

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