Minus 26 on Thanksgiving

PINKHAM NOTCH, N.H. — It was downright cold atop Mount Washington, home to some of the most brutal weather in the Northeast.

The Mount Washington Observatory said it plunged to minus 26 on Thursday morning. The observatory said that broke its daily record low of minus 11. It also broke the lowest temperature it has seen in November. The old record was minus 20 on Nov. 30, 1958.

The observatory said winds over hurricane force — that’s 74 mph or higher — had wind chills in the range of minus 70 to minus 75.

At 6,288 feet, Mount Washington in New Hampshire is the highest peak in the Northeast. snow, cold weather and a strong economy was a perfect recipe for a strong season. She said last year’s late spring snow also helped interest carry over.

“The snow that we are getting right now is the best marketing we could ask for,” Ward said. “It sells itself, really.”

The good economy also contributed to an increase in sales of gear in the offseason, said Greg Sweetser, executive director of the Ski Maine Association. “Ski swaps,” in which skiers buy, sell and trade gear before the season, were especially well attended this year, he said.

“From Presque Isle to Kittery, these ski swaps had great enthusiasm this year,” Sweetser said. “People are feeling confident with the economy.”