Nor'easter Bound!

Even for those people who have seen some exciting weather on Mount Washington before, seeing the following forecast is something to behold (especially if you're a skier): 

Along with this excerpt from the daily 48-hour Higher Summits Forecast, a weather synopsis is produced by the meteorologist on duty that describes in somewhat general terms the different air masses and weather systems that will dictate weather during the forecast period. For those teachers that explore the concepts of fronts, barometric pressure and scientific writing, here's the Summit Forecast Summary for today, Wednesday, December 28th, 2016:

Wednesday, lingering moisture will be met with a weak shortwave passage, which will translate into continued summit fog, mostly cloudy skies around the mountains, and scattered light snow showers. Wednesday night, a ridge of high pressure will crest over the region allowing for some partial clearing on and above the summits, which will linger into early Thursday. As the high departs, an area of low pressure will rapidly move up the coast for Thursday afternoon and Thursday night. As the storm heads into the Gulf of Maine, it will bomb out and develop into a strong Nor’easter. Heavy bands of snow will rotate in Thursday afternoon and Thursday night, delivering one to two feet of new snow. Model soundings are indicating a bit of instability with the passing low, so isolated thunderstorms will be possible Thursday night. This instability could also bring higher snowfall totals in some isolated areas. As the low starts lifting northeast, the tight pressure gradient behind it will ramp winds up around the century mark late Thursday night. Winds will also be shifting over the overnight hours causing all the newly fallen snow to be whipped back and forth across the summits. So white out conditions are expected Thursday afternoon and especially Thursday night. The high and shifting winds will likely lead to drifts several feet deep in areas by early Friday. The newly fallen snow and blowing snow will likely be affecting neighboring ravines Thursday night and Friday, so please check the Mount Washington Avalanche Center advisory page for the latest conditions in the coming days.
Ryan Knapp -- Staff Meteorologist
Updated at 4:30 AM on Wednesday