A sugar maple at White Park in Concord is a colorful reminder that fall is still here, at least for now.
A sugar maple at White Park in Concord is a colorful reminder that fall is still here, at least for now. Credit: GEOFF FORESTER / Monitor staff

The calendar says winter’s about two months away, but it’s in full swing atop Mount Washington, the highest peak in northeastern United States.

The Mount Washington Observatory posted Wednesday morning on Facebook that it got 18 inches of snow, with drifts as high as 6 feet.

Night observer Ryan Knapp found snow depths ranging from knee- to waist-deep. He dug a path to get to some of the observatory’s instruments.

After getting off to a slow start for October for snowfall, the summit has surpassed the 17.6 inches of average snowfall for the month.

It was part of a storm that brought more than 6 inches of snow to parts of northern New Hampshire. Light snow showers were expected in the area throughout Wednesday and Thursday.

In Central New Hampshire, it remains a far more colorful display, though the region is preparing for a cold and wet weekend ahead.

Associated Press

David Brooks can be reached at dbrooks@cmonitor.com. Sign up for his Granite Geek weekly email newsletter at granitegeek.org.