Baikal ice - variety of shapes and patterns

Lake Baikal completely freezes over in February-March, although the real winter in Siberia comes as early as November, and the temperature drops below 20 degrees. The fact is that Baikal is the second largest lake in the world by volume after the Caspian Sea and, like a huge battery, collects solar thermal energy in summer and slowly releases it again as it cools in winter. Therefore, it does not freeze completely until the end of January. First, in November-December, the bays and the northern part of Lake Baikal freeze, and at the very end the southern and western coasts.

Strong winds blow in November, creating splashes of amazing beauty from the spray on the rocks. You look different every time. And icicles form in the caves. Later, when Lake Baikal freezes over, you can go up to the lake and look at all this beauty.

Sometimes bubbles of gas rise from the bottom and interesting patterns of bubbles form on the ice. Under the influence of wind and other forces, the ice acquires a unique structure.

The ice is initially thin, can be broken and piled up by the wind, and ice piles form after freezing. The temperature in winter changes and with it the ice contracts and expands. Due to the huge mass of ice on Lake Baikal, the pressure is colossal, and the ice breaks with a large crack, cracks are formed and sometimes this process can be observed.

You can find your unique Baikal ice pattern during Winter Adventures on Baikal tour. Also, I have prepared a very interesting program for you, we will go on a husky dog ​​sledding tour in the Siberian forest, glide 250 km on a hovercraft over the Baikal ice to visit some hard-to-reach places, ride a train along a frozen lake and get to know the life of the locals.