Can an outdoor kitchen
SURVIVE mount Washington?
We put an RTA outdoor kitchen on the summit to follow how it handles a year of real weather. Together with Mount Washington Observatory, we’re documenting its condition, everyday use, and the seasons as they unfold.
Camera visibility may vary with fog, ice, darkness, and connectivity.
See What's Happening at the Summit
Watch the outdoor kitchen LIVE in its mountain setting, with current summit weather from Mount Washington Observatory below.
Current Summit Conditions
why Mount washington?
Choosing an outdoor kitchen means thinking past how it looks on day one. What matters is how it holds up season after season. At 6,288 feet, Mount Washington is what the Observatory calls the “Home of the World’s Worst Weather.” It’s also where mountaineers train before they attempt Everest.
The summit has a subarctic climate. Hurricane-force gusts hit on about 110 days a year, and in winter, winds over 100 mph can last for days. Supercooled fog freezes on contact as rime ice, building up thick, feathered layers on every exposed surface, seam, and hinge. The summit also goes through hundreds of freeze-thaw cycles a year. Each time, moisture that gets into a small gap or porous surface freezes, expands, and works the material from the inside.
Those are the same forces homeowners in New England, the Upper Midwest, and along the coast deal with every year. On Mount Washington, they’re harsher than almost anywhere else in North America.
So we’re leaving the kitchen uncovered through August 2027. Observatory staff will check it from the same reference points every month, and we’ll publish what they find.
Record Summit Conditions
Conditions recorded during the station’s history, from 1933 to the present.
a closer look at
the outdoor kitchen
Get to know the RTA outdoor kitchen at the center of the project. From its concrete panel construction to the layout, appliances, and finishes selected for the summit.
RTA Outdoor Kitchen Overview
| Construction | High Performance Concrete Panels |
|---|---|
| Layout | Linear Side-by-Side (120″W x 37″H x 28″D) |
| Finish Style | Modern Stone | Ash |
| Countertop | Chiseled Edge Concrete | Cloudy |
| Grill | (2) 36″ Coyote CL-Series Gas Grill |
| Storage/Access | (2) 36″ Coyote Double Access Door |
design an outdoor kitchen
that can handle your space
With our 3d design tool and one-on-one expert guidance, building the outdoor kitchen of your dreams can happen well.
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A Shared Story of Weather,
People, & Outdoor Living.
Mount Washington Observatory is a nonprofit dedicated to weather and climate observation, research, and education. Its team lives and works at the summit, bringing firsthand perspective to the conditions surrounding the kitchen.
RTA donated the kitchen for summit staff and is documenting the project through photos, video, and a forthcoming documentary. Observatory staff contribute weather context and observations throughout the year.
Together, we’re sharing an honest look at outdoor living in an extraordinary setting—and introducing more people to the Observatory’s work.
