The freezing level, the wind up at ridge and summit height and the snow on the massif — the high-mountain weather that governs a trekking or climbing day, in plain words.
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The high-mountain weather that governs a day above Mestia: the altitude of the 0°C line (the freezing level), the wind up at ridge and summit height, and the snow on the massif — now and for the days ahead. These are numbers from a weather model, not measurements on the mountain and not a judgement on conditions; for a real plan, the National Environmental Agency's forecast and a local guide come first.
~4,450 m
Above Mestia town, the Zuruldi ridge (top of the Hatsvali lift) & the Koruldi Lakes above the Cross of Mestia, below Ushba's south summit & Tetnuldi.
Model forecast, as of 17:34.
| Day | 0°C level | Strongest wind aloft | Precip / snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Today | 4,300–4,800 m | a strong breeze (~4300 m) | — |
| Tomorrow | 4,400–4,600 m | a strong breeze (~4300 m) | 5.6 mm |
| Wed 15 | 4,050–4,450 m | a strong breeze (~4300 m) | 8 mm |
| Thu 16 | 4,050–4,200 m | a fresh breeze (~4300 m) | — |
This page shows a weather model, not the state of the mountain and not a risk rating. For a real decision, Georgia's National Environmental Agency issues the official forecasts and warnings, and a local guide who knows the current snow and rivers is worth more than any number here.
Weather in Svaneti turns fast: a clear morning can be fog by mid-morning, summer thunderstorms build over the ridges in the afternoon, and the wind at a summit can be nothing like the calm in town. Georgia has no per-massif avalanche bulletin, so in winter and spring the judgement of local guides is what you have — ask before you commit. In an emergency, 112 reaches fire, ambulance and mountain rescue nationwide.
Emergency services — fire, ambulance and mountain rescue
The freezing level is the altitude where the air passes 0°C. It tells you where rain turns to snow, and how high the overnight refreeze reaches. When it sits very high — up near the big summits — snow goes soft, the refreeze that holds a slope together stops, and rockfall gets more likely, especially in the afternoon. Climbers watch it as closely as the temperature in town.
It can be still on Seti Square and blowing hard on the Zuruldi ridge or the Chkhutnieri pass. Strong wind at altitude chills you fast, loads snow onto lee slopes, and can turn back a day that looks fine from the valley. The numbers here are read around 3,000 m (ridge and pass height) and around 4,300 m (near Ushba and Tetnuldi), closest to where people actually go.
The high routes — the passes on the Mestia–Ushguli trek, the Koruldi Lakes, the glacier approaches — are usually snow-free only from roughly June into September; the passes often hold snow into June. December to March brings deep snow and the avalanche cycles Svaneti has always lived with (the 1986–87 avalanche winters are still remembered here). Plan the season, not just the day.
Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0).