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[lucky luke]

From a post of All in condition on mt washington, I took a look at the mt washington forecast center.

Looking at the auto road profile, we saw that it is colder at the bottom, warmer a little around three thousand feet and going colder as we go to the summit.

That condition happen many time and I don't understand the exact phenomena, any person know it? and the impact on climbing? 

[darwined]

I'm not sure what the meteorologists would call this.  As a climber, I'd say three degrees is unimportant.  My two cents

[DLottmann]

It’s called a Temperature Inversion.

One simple cause would be a cold calm night. Cold air sinks and pools in the valley’s. A more thorough explanation can be found here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inversion_(meteorology)

It is unlikely to have a dramatic effect on climbing and avalanche conditions, except when the temps are at or above freezing level.

[lucky luke]

It’s called a Temperature Inversion.

From wikipedia: An inversion can also suppress convection by acting as a "cap". If this cap is broken for any of several reasons, convection of any moisture present can then erupt into violent thunderstorms. Temperature inversion can notoriously result in freezing rain in cold climates.

Particularly important for climber is thunderstorm and freezing rain. The wind generate by that kind of system can generate huge forces, the wind I presume. But I just copy the text, I don't understand it for a particular situation like mt Washington.

[kenreville]

Anyone who would willingly choose to go climb around on the Tub in today's weather should be locked away in the funny farm.

[tradmanclimbz]

BTDT It was pretty darn fun actually. my glasses kept iceing over which is always APINTA the winds were strong enough on the alpine garden that you could spread your arms and lean into the wind at a 45 degree angle and pretend to fly. I think we did yale to diagonal. Probobly had a rope and light rack in the pack but never broke them out.

[lucky luke]

BTDT It was pretty darn fun actually. my glasses kept iceing over which is always APINTA the winds were strong enough on the alpine garden that you could spread your arms and lean into the wind at a 45 degree angle and pretend to fly. I think we did yale to diagonal. Probobly had a rope and light rack in the pack but never broke them out.

that is climbing.

Chouinard did the north face of mt rainier, I think, a hard face. The weather was good and he didn't like it. For that reason, he went on a second time when the temperature was pratically the same as today. He did a chimney with frozen ice on both side and...had fun!!! I remember that he said... now, I really did the route.

Note Yvon chouinard was a pro, describe seven type of ice in is book and gave many clue about avalanches, He climbed and study the mountain. He was not reckless waiting for good weather to show off. last time i went to the mountain, I bail because it was poring rain.

So, the question about the temperature stratification is really to have a better knowledge