Grandfather Mountain Weather and Climate

    At one of the higher elevations in the area, Grandfather Mountain is normally 10-15 degrees cooler than the surrounding foothills. Grandfather is also known for its high wind speeds, with the highest recorded wind speed being 124mph in February 2019. The average annual rainfall is around 62.79 inches and the average snowfall in winter is 52.65 inches. Temperatures have ranged from the lowest recorded at -32 degrees F in January of 1985 to the highest recorded at 83.2 degrees F in July of 2012. 

    The usual resource that is used across the mountain for daily weather is the National Weather Service. We display this information on various screens across the mountain so that staff and guests can be aware of any incoming weather such as high winds, thunderstorms, or snowfall which could all potentially temporarily close sections of the park. The National Weather Service includes the wind speeds and visibility, which we look at the most. If winds sustain 50mph or above, the top portion of the mountain will have to close due to safety concerns and if visibility is low we have to inform guests so that they are aware to turn on their fog lights while driving through the park. 

    Another useful resource I found was Weather Spark. It gives informative graphs that compare climate and weather between two or more cities around the world. It also gives information on things like cloud coverage, solar elevation, moon rise and set phases, humidity, tourism score throughout the year, and much more. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation Summary

 Although I am already fairly knowledgeable about this organization (as I work there every day) it was still interesting to research more about the history of the mountain and learn about how it all started. Creating this non-profit took a lot of teamwork from a lot of the town locals and that is why the Grandfather community is so special and means so much to people that have watched it become what it is today. I also dedicated a whole slide to the iconic Mildred the Bear. She kickstarted the entire wildlife habitat program at the mountain which then turned into the education and conservation program that teaches guests from all over the world.  This year, the first strategic plan was presented for the mountain for the first time in over 10 years. I was able to talk to and learn from the President and Executive Director of the Stewardship Foundation, Jesse Pope, and learn what the plans are for the future of this organization. These plans include improvements across all depar...
Read more

Taxonomy of Hericium erinaceus

I chose to look into the taxonomy of Hericium erinaceus, also called Lion's Mane. It is a large, white, bulbous mushroom species that is unique as it is edible and provides many health benefits. It gets its name from its resemblance to a lion's mane with its shaggy mane-like appearance. Normally I would choose to research a type of animal but this time I decided to look into something that I don't know as much about and I found it quite interesting!
Read more

North Carolina Nonprofit Formation Summary

 I made a comprehensive table of the steps needed to form a nonprofit organization in the state of North Carolina. I also made a table of what is needed each year to maintain compliance to have an ongoing nonprofit in the state as well.  Source: Formation Group. Starting and Maintaining a Nonprofit in North Carolina . 501c3.org. https://www.501c3.org/state-nonprofit-guide/how-to-start-a-nonprofit-in-north-carolina/
Read more