Typical operating window
February–AprilThe continental winter snowpack develops gradually; late winter offers greater depth and daylight.Verified planning context
Snow, weather and avalanche context
Historical patterns help you compare trips. They do not predict your week or replace the operator's daily decisions.
Strongest comparable snow evidence
72 mm SWE median · 65–85 mm interquartile rangeLake Baikal reference ERA5-Land grid cellTier C · modelled estimate · low confidenceSnow character
continentalCold dry snow can persist, while wind and prolonged temperature gradients can maintain weak layers.Public avalanche information
Roshydromet forecasts and warningsNo verified public regional avalanche bulletin was identified for the operating terrain.Weather and flight context
Strong continental cold, local lake influence, and sparse mountain observations shape conditions.
- Extreme cold
- Wind and blowing snow
- Remote weather and rescue logistics
Meteorological reference area
Lake Baikal catalogue region
- Includes
- Named Lake Baikal program areas and nearby reference sites.
- Excludes
- The full Baikal basin as one snow climate.
- Elevation
- No verified operator-terrain elevation band is public. Each evidence value retains its site elevation.
Evidence pack
Measurements, claims and gaps stay separate.
Tier CModelled snowfall water equivalent72 mm SWE median · 65–85 mm interquartile range
- Site
- Lake Baikal reference ERA5-Land grid cell · 53.6000, 108.2000 · 5.1 km from Lake Baikal reference reference point
- Period
- Calendar years 1991–2020
- Completeness
- 360 monthly means; all 30 calendar years contain 12 values.
- Method
- ERA5-Land monthly mean daily snowfall accumulation was multiplied by calendar days and 1,000, then summed by calendar year.
- Limitation
- This reference area supports evidence discovery and comparison. It is not an operating-area or tenure boundary. This unadjusted 0.1° reanalysis grid cell is not an observation, snow depth, or terrain-wide total. Grid elevation and wind redistribution can cause substantial local bias.
- ERA5-Land monthly averaged data from 1950 to presentCopernicus Climate Change Service · accessed 2026-08-26
Monthly evidence
Each cell keeps its measurement type and unit. Reanalysis water equivalent is not snow depth. Text-only cells preserve a representative data gap.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.2 mm SWE | 5.4 mm SWE | 6.1 mm SWE | 6.6 mm SWE | 1.7 mm SWE | 0 mm SWE | 0 mm SWE | 0 mm SWE | 0 mm SWE | 4.8 mm SWE | 21.9 mm SWE | 11.8 mm SWE |
Commercial operator assessment
Operator assessment process not independently verifiedThe operator must assess current snow, avalanche terrain, weather, aircraft limits, and rescue options. No private operational plan is inferred.
Sources and evidence notes
- WMO Climatological NormalsWorld Meteorological Organization · accessed 2026-08-25
- ERA5-Land hourly data from 1950 to presentCopernicus Climate Change Service · accessed 2026-08-25
- Hydrometeorological Centre of RussiaRoshydromet · accessed 2026-08-25
- Published operator and trip inventoryHeliski International editorial team · accessed 2026-08-25
- ERA5-Land monthly averaged data from 1950 to presentCopernicus Climate Change Service · accessed 2026-08-26