Wind

• Strong winds whip across Mount Washington's rocky summit. Although the average wind speed is 35 miles per hour, winds can get much stronger on Mount Washington. In 1934, the standing record wind speed of 231 miles per hour was recorded on the summit, according to the Mount Washington Observatory. Mount Washington is regularly buffeted by winds reaching over 100 miles per hour.
  
  

Temperature and Snow

• The average temperature atop Mount Washington is just 26.5 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Reuters. Although warm summer days on the summit are common, winter temperatures can drop as low as minus 47 degrees Fahrenheit. The summit receives an average of 40 feet of snow per year, with snow fall possible every month of the year.
  
  

Elevation

• At 6,288 feet, the summit of Mount Washington is taller than any of the surrounding peaks. Although small by western mountain standards, Washington quickly rises from northern deciduous forest to boreal forest to the alpine zone above treeline. The exposed rock of the summit offers little shelter from winds, rain and snow.
  
  

Location

• Mount Washington's location contributes to its extreme weather. The mountain is situated at the convergence of three different storm tracks. The tallest obstacle the winds and storms encounter on their track to the Atlantic Ocean, Mount Washington serves as a pinch point and receives the brunt of the passing storms, according to "National Geographic."