Search & Rescue
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Prior to America's entry into World War II, only two women were listed among the US Weather Bureau ranks as observers and forecasters. But during the war this changed dramatically. By 1945, over 900 women worked as observers and forecasters . Many weather offices were comprised almost entirely of women.

Women in the Weather Bureau During WW II NOAA Photo

Sometimes, knowing the weather can change your direction. I learned that lesson a few years ago, high on Mount Washington. Hi, I'm Bryan Yeaton for The Weather Notebook

A young woman lay injured one night at the base of the Great Gulf, a huge glacial cirque on the north side of Mount Washington, and several rescue teams‹including mine‹responded.

We drove up the Mount Washington Auto Road, which gave us trail access from high up the mountain. As we hiked down the steep, exposed slope toward the patient seventeen hundred feet below, a thunderstorm suddenly rolled over the northern peaks, and slammed into us, perched precariously above tree line. With lightning flashing everywhere, I thought I was about to become a charcoal briquette.

Fortunately, after the front passed everyone was still intact. We continued to Spaulding Lake, where the patient was placed in the basket stretcher, ready for transport. But to take her out along the valley trail would have meant nearly seven miles on a narrow, uncleared trail to the road 2500 feet below. We could carry her back up the exposed slope. But if more thunderstorms were on the way, it would be too risky.

Fortunately, we were able to contact the Mount Washington Observatory, and learned that no more storms were aiming at us, so we roped up the stretcher, and started climbing.

Later, when the young woman was safely headed to the hospital, our 18 rescuers piled into the van for the trip down. But fog had reduced visibility to less than ten feet. Two of our rescuers had to jog in front of the van with flashlights so I could see the road. With several dropoffs of more than 2000 vertical feet, this was the prudent thing to do.

One final note, our patient had only minor injuries, and walked out of the hospital shortly after arriving.