Heaven and waters of Lake Ladoga

The largest lake in Europe - Lake Ladoga ( S = 17670 sq.km., V = 848 cu.km) is situated at 60° N latitude. Lake Ladoga is situated in a moderate climatic zone. The climate is affected by the interaction of the warm Atlantic Ocean air mass and cold air from the Arctic. Winter conditions play an important role for the lake and serve as climate change indicator. The ice cover lasts for 171 ± 3 days on average from the early November until the mid-May. The mean annual air temperature is about 3.2°C and mean annual temperature of the lake water is about 3.8°C. The lake plays a significant role in influencing regional meteorology, as well as being very important to the surrounding region as a source of clean and abundant water and a medium for inexpensive, waterway transportation.