Lake Baikal is one of the most impressive places on Earth. Tourists come here every year to admire the picturesque places and take a break from the hustle and bustle. But beautiful and bewitching landscapes can be seen here not only in summer, so travelers who plan to visit this region are interested to know what are the features of the climate of Lake Baikal.
Location of the lake
For starters, it's worth reminding yourself where Baikal is. The lake is located in the central part of Asia. It occupies the territory between the Republic of Buryatia and the Irkutsk region. The closest cities that are not far from Lake Baikal are Irkutsk, Slyudyanka, Angarsk, Severobaikalsk, Ulan-Ude, Babushkin, Kamensk, Ust-Barguzin. But, going to these places, vacationers are more interested in the climate on Lake Baikal.
Overview of the climate on the lake
Like many other amazing places on our planet, this lake also has its own distinctive features, and the weather is oneof them. In Eastern Siberia, where the lake is located, the climate is sharply continental. Near the coast, due to the huge thickness of the water and the proximity of the mountains, it softens. Many are surprised that the climate of Lake Baikal differs from that which has been established even in the nearest cities. But in reality, a large amount of water is a kind of temperature stabilizer. That is why in summer the weather here is a little cooler than in Irkutsk, and in winter, on the contrary, the frost here is not so strong. On average, the temperature difference in the city and on the lake is 10 degrees. Trees grow along the entire coast, creating dense beautiful forests. They not only decorate the area, but also influence the climate of Lake Baikal.
Average water temperature in summer
It's no secret that this lake is covered with ice in winter. The average annual temperature on the surface of the water is only four degrees. Even in summer, the lake remains cool. Off the coast on warm days the water warms up to +16…+17 degrees. If you measure the temperature in shallow bays, then there it can rise to +23 degrees. Once the water in the lake could even warm up to +28 oC, this happened in the hot summer of 2008.
When to come to rest
The climate of Lake Baikal is conducive to travel and recreation in the days from mid-June to mid-August. As a rule, at this time the weather on the lake remains sunny. On such days, there is practically no evaporation from the surface of the water, so the sky is not dotted with clouds. In addition, coastal mountains provide protection. The clouds maystretch from land, but they are not able to "roll" over the peaks without wasting their power. Thanks to such favorable circumstances, the sky remains clear. In addition, even at night it is warm in the air, and tourists come to Baikal. At the same time, the climate still remains “capricious”, because even on such favorable days the weather can be rainy. If you're not lucky, bad weather can drag on for up to three weeks. It is known that on Baikal there is the sunniest place - Olkhon, but even there it can rain. Fortunately, this happens very rarely.
Winter on Baikal
Many people like to come to the lake in the summer, but there are also tourists who appreciate winter Baikal. The climate at this time is harsh, but still the area remains beautiful and open to guests. In winter, getting to the lake is very difficult, since the harsh climate complicates movement in Siberia. In addition, daylight hours are very shortened. In December, it dawns here only at nine in the morning, and at five twilight falls, quickly turning into night. If good frosts hit, a thick fog appears in the air, which does not even allow you to see the sky. Baikal remains unfrozen until January. At this time, the water soars a little, and the surface is completely shrouded in haze, due to which it is impossible to see the coast. With the approach of spring, the strongest ice shift begins, and some hummocks reach a height of two meters.
Toward March, many tourists go to the lake for skiing, ice fishing, ice skating. This time is considered the winter "velvet season". ATMarch is already warmer than February, the ice is still safe, and there is a lot of snow along the banks. Visiting the lake in winter is no less exciting than in the warm season.
Spring
The lake is beautiful at any time of the year, so you can also go to Baikal in spring. The climate during this period is different, because the ice melts unevenly and for a very long time. Closer to the southern shores, it disappears by the beginning of May, but in the northern corners it stays until the end of the month. But it is in the spring that you can admire the pristine nature. At this time, there are still no masses of travelers. The best time for spring tourism to Baikal is the period from mid-May to June 10. Just then, the waters are cleared of layers of ice and it's not hot yet. It is possible to arrange an exciting trip on a boat, although for this you will need to bring warm clothes.
Summer season
The climate of Lake Baikal in summer is most conducive to relaxation. In these places, stable heat begins on June 15. Here you can travel among the pristine nature and not worry that you will freeze, because fine days last until mid-August. As early as May 25, passenger navigation begins. In warm weather, tourists arrange tent camps, in which there are usually a lot of residents. Most often they are localized on the shores of the Chivyrkuisky Bay and the Small Sea. In places where it is difficult for a car to pass, it is almost impossible to meet tent campers. There are also very few travelers in the northern parts of Baikal. But there are picturesque nature reserves here.
Autumn on the lake
Having considered the climate on Baikal by months, we move on to the autumn season. A very attractive period here in the days of "Indian summer". The forest begins to play with colorful colors and picturesque reflections on the water. In autumn, the most attractive are mixed forests. The most saturated are located on the coasts of Chivyrkuisky Bay and Peschanaya Bay.
You can also choose a place to stay near Olkhon Island. Here, in the second week of September, there are very few tourists, everyone is leaving, so you can retire in nature. But the weather changes during this period. In early September, the wind blows more often. With his impulses, he mixes the water, which makes the air cool and transparent in autumn. While mild warmth is felt during the daytime, coldness is felt as evening falls. At this time, the lake itself has a temperature of no more than 14 degrees.
Weather and climate of Baikal
After briefly reviewing the seasonal weather on the lake, we can conclude about the state of the climate. It is mainly affected by the water mass, so the winter here is calmer and warmer, and the summer, on the contrary, is several degrees cooler than in neighboring cities. Autumn on Baikal is most often delayed, and the onset of spring is half a month late. It is important to note that, in total, the length of days with sunshine on the territory of Baikal is longer than in many resorts. For example, on the island of Olkhon there are only 48 days without sun, and in the nearby village - 37. If you calculate, this is 2524 hours of sunshine, which is much morethan in the resorts of the Black Sea. This record number was made possible by local winds. It should be noted that the abundance of sun also affects the climate of the area near the lake.
Winds on Baikal
Here, certain types of winds have their own names. The first is "Angara", or "Verkhovik". It is directed from north to south from the valley of the Upper Angara River and blows along the lake. These winds are very long, up to ten days. They begin to dominate in mid-August, when the summer holiday season ends. Verkhovik is usually not gusty and blows gently, without creating waves off the coast. It is most often accompanied by sunny weather, which continues to attract travelers to Baikal. The climate and character of Verkhovik begin to noticeably change. Now the wind is rocking the lake, making gloomy steep waves that can reach 6 meters. The Angara can be identified at dawn, as it is evidenced by the bright red horizon and clumps of clouds over Cape Tolstoy.
Another type of wind is "Barguzin". It originates in the Barguzinskaya valley and dominates mainly near the central part of Baikal. It blows across the water. Its beginning is even, but gradually it gains power. "Barguzin" is not as long as "Verkhovik". With his arrival, stable sunny weather sets in.
"Sarma" is a mountain and the most terrible wind in this area. He is strong and fast. It originates in the valley of the Sarma River, which merges with the Small Sea. In one hour, the wind picks up its maximum speed (more than 40 m/s) and reachesits full strength. In the summer, "sarma" begins unexpectedly and just as unpredictably leaves. With the onset of autumn, the wind can not stop for a whole day. They learn about the appearance of "sarma" by the clouds that appear above the Three-headed char of the Pribaikalsky ridge. They swim towards the lake and disperse, creating wide ripples on the surface of the water.
"Kultuk" is also a "carrier" of bad weather and storms. It blows along the entire lake, starting from the southern side of Baikal. The wind is not as long as the "Verkhovik", and the main time of its occurrence is autumn. Foreshadows the formation of a "kultuk" fog. It should appear on the loaches of the Khamar-Daban ridge.
"Mountain" - this name speaks for itself, it breaks down from the mountains. This is a northwest side wind on the lake. It is very impulsive and comes on suddenly. The strength of the wind is growing rapidly. His time is October and November.
Nebula on Baikal
Most often, fogs occur on the lake in July, this is facilitated by the type of Baikal climate. But other months are also subject to this phenomenon. Fog happens because warm air descends on the cool water surface. Together, condensation forms. In the cold period, the formation of fog is associated with the evaporation of moisture. It can be observed in calm, low wind weather. It usually occurs at dawn and lasts five to six hours. Sometimes it can last up to two days, and then disappear. Often you can observe thick fog, which a little higher (at an altitude of 100 meters) develops into cloudiness. Morea little higher these clouds turn into cumulus. Very rarely they go beyond the Baikal basin. In this case, the phenomenon is called an atmospheric phenomenon, since there are no cumulus clouds in winter.
