Dale Andersen: “the winds began to pick up earlier today, and we now have 30 mph winds, using 42 mph (max gust so far has beeb 62 mph). We expect snow and much stronger winds in the morning, perhaps 5 or 6 AM and then throughout the day on Thursday. Screenshot from a small met station [Ambient WS-4000 weather station] I have deployed next to the camp Data from a few min ago.”
Weather forecast
Weather forecast for the coming week courtesy of Gemini. Note their mention of our updates at Astrobiology.com The weather forecast for Lake Untersee, Antarctica, over the next week (November 7–14, 2026) brings cold, sub-zero spring conditions typical of Queen Maud Land:
The forecast for Lake Untersee on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, called for increasing clouds, strengthening east-south-easterly winds, and cold temperatures around −20°C ahead of an approaching coastal storm. Conditions were expected to deteriorate significantly from Tuesday evening into Wednesday and Thursday.
Tuesday, November 10, 2026 Forecast
According to the field forecast issued by Astrobiologist Dale Andersen’s Research Team on site at Lake Untersee, conditions for November 10 included:
- Sky Conditions. Cloud cover was forecast to spread across the region throughout the day as a low-pressure system moved along the coast to the north.
- Winds. An east-south-easterly wind was projected to build steadily during the day, reaching 15 to 20 knots (about 28 to 37 km/h or 17 to 23 mph) by evening.
- Temperature. Temperatures started near −20°C (−4°F) overnight into Tuesday morning, beginning a gradual warming trend as easterly winds drew in maritime air.
Mid-Week Storm Outlook (Nov 11–13)
The weather shift on November 10 served as the precursor to a major polar storm impacting the basecamp from mid-week onward:
- Severe Winds. Sustained winds were forecast to surge on Wednesday morning, reaching 35 to 50 knots (65 to 90 km/h) from midday Wednesday through Thursday evening, with gusts of 55 to 70 knots (100 to 130 km/h).
- Snow and Visibility. Several centimeters of snow—primarily falling on Wednesday—combined with heavy blowing snow were expected to reduce visibility across the lake to near zero at times.
- Temperature Rise and Recovery. Maritime air pushed into the valley by the storm was expected to raise temperatures from −20°C up to around −7°C (19°F) by Thursday and −5°C (23°F) by Friday, before winds eased to roughly 12 knots on Friday afternoon.
You can see all of the status reports and related articles from this field season and past seasons here at Dale Andersen’s Field Reports
Astrobiology, Exploration, Antarctica,
