The Highest Temp Recorded on Mount Washington in NH is Shocking

It is well known that Mount Washington in New Hampshire is renowned for its extreme and erratic weather patterns. Some of the coldest temperatures ever recorded happened atop that 6,288-foot mother of a mountain.

There's cold and then there's "top of Mount Washington cold," and they are two very different categories.

The fastest wind gust ever recorded on Earth was 231 MPH on Mount Washington in April 1934.

Mount Washington is the tallest peak in the Northeast, and its unique geography and elevation make it the perfect place for experts to study meteorological phenomena. It has been called one of the most challenging environments on the planet.

These challenges are not only fascinating but pose serious threats to visitors and hikers. Visitors can experience temperature swings of more than 50 degrees Fahrenheit in a single day.

I got to thinking, if Mount Washington is known for it's extreme weather patterns and can get colder/windier than anywhere on the planet, can the pendulum swing in the other direction? Meaning can it get hot as heck too?

The short answer is no it can't. During the summer months, temperatures at the summit range from the 40s to the 60s but it usually feels much colder because of the strong winds. It can be warmer at lower altitudes in the Summer but it's almost always cooler and windier at the top.

My curiosity had me wondering if it has EVER been balmy at the top of Mount Washington, I'm talking nice enough to sit out and catch some rays.

What is the highest temperature ever recorded atop Mount Washington?

It has reached 72 degrees on two occasions at the top of Mount Washington! The first was August 2, 1975 and then it happened again on June 26, 2003.

That is shorts and a tee shirt weather! If it was that warm at the top, does it mean it was 100 degrees on the mainland? Who in there right mind would hike Mount Washington on that day?

According to this NHPR article, If you ask the observatory staff on Mount Washington how they feel about warm weather at the summit, it's not that interesting to them. They more so celebrate wind records, cold temperatures and precipitation records, no one is that concerned about high temperatures being broken.