Published 25.02.2022 This winter, the snow avalanche station of Shymkent RSE "Kazhydromet" celebrates its 55th anniversary!
The avalanche service in Kazakhstan is one of the youngest in the CIS, until 1997 it successfully solved all the tasks assigned to it and was one of the best in the USSR. The official opening of the Shymkent SLS fell on February 23, 1967.
With the opening of snow-avalanche stations, regular stationary observations of snow cover and avalanches in the Ileysky Alatau began to be carried out in 1966.
Until 1950, episodic and incomplete information about avalanche sites was received from observers of mountain hydrological posts and volunteer correspondents only for individual points of mountain districts. In the future, avalanche registration began to be carried out on newly opened high-altitude snow-measuring routes.
In addition, at the end of the 60s, for the first time, aerial visual observations of the snow-avalanche situation, the height and distribution of snow cover in high-altitude inaccessible areas were started.
In 1991, all aerial visual observations were discontinued due to lack of funding.
The duties of avalanche monitoring were assigned to the Management of the Hydrometeorological Service of the Kazakh SSR, by the Decree of the Government of the Kazakh SSR No. 103 dated 05/16/1966. Since that date, regular observations of avalanches have begun. Since 1975, employees of snow-avalanche stations, together with the Kazselezashchita department, also began to carry out preventive avalanche descents and participate in search and rescue operations related to avalanches.
Avalanche workers work 24/7, 365 days a year. 68 avalanche collections have been registered in the gorge, 72 snow-measuring remote rails have been installed in 32 of them, which are used to monitor the height of the snow cover in the avalanche separation zones. In summer - reconstruction after winter, workers go on foot, check every avalanche and snow gauge rail, repair and fix. In places where the slats were demolished by avalanches, new slats are installed.
Once a week, observations are carried out at the route pit No. 6, which is located at an altitude of 2950 m in the avalanche separation zone.
Based on observations at the stationary site, remote rails and pit No. 6, an analysis is made on the condition, structure, height of snow and, if necessary, recommendations are given on preventive avalanche descents, and information on the state of snow cover in the Kishi river basin of Almaty. There are mandatory exits once a week, and after a snowfall, specialists go along specially designed routes, take readings from rails, describe avalanches that have descended, transmit information to management.
RSE "Kazhydromet" congratulates the employees of the snow avalanche station "Shymkent" and wishes them good health, success in their hard work, inexhaustible optimism, warmth and well-being in their families!