Meteorology teams brave harsh winter to maintain weather stations

ERZURUM

In the frigid, snow-covered mountains of eastern Türkiye, meteorology teams push through extreme winter conditions to ensure the continued operation of crucial weather stations.

Despite heavy snowfall, freezing winds and temperatures plummeting to –35 degrees Celsius, the dedicated teams traverse rugged terrain to repair and maintain meteorological equipment across Erzurum, Erzincan, Ardahan and Bayburt provinces.

Working around the clock, the teams’ responsibilities include servicing airports, meteorology radars, radiosonde stations and Automatic Meteorological Observation Stations (OMGİ), regardless of season or weather conditions.

Selçuk Aksak, a 56-year-old technician making the treacherous climb to a meteorology station at Palandöken Ski Center, emphasized their team’s commitment.

“As the OMGİ team, we are constantly on the field. We oversee 70 observation stations, two airports and a meteorology radar in the Kargapazar Mountains,” he explained. “We must keep all 70 stations operational. If a station breaks down, we are required to fix it within 24 hours. We go where we are needed.”

Major overhauls happen in summer, but in winter, the teams still conduct monthly checks, no matter how difficult the access is.

Reaching these stations in winter is a daunting challenge. Vehicles often cannot proceed beyond a certain point due to thick snow and blizzards, forcing personnel to continue on foot. In some areas, snow accumulation reaches 1.5 meters, leaving team members half-buried as they struggle forward.

“In winter, when roads are blocked, we have no choice but to carry our equipment — including laptops, toolkits and even heavy batteries — on our backs,” Aksak said.

“It’s all for the public — to ensure they can ski safely, travel without disruptions and fly without delays.”