Snow Cover Vršič 13.1.2011
14.01.2011
Post on GRZS website:
http://www.grzs.si/?MenuID=1&NewsID=1031
At the pass there were 25 cm of new snow. The total thickness of the snow cover at the test site was 130 cm. Below the upper 25 cm layer there was a 5 cm layer of pencil-hardness snow. This layer was a wet layer from rain before the last snowfall, which had frozen. Below that was a 10 cm layer of snow still transforming to fist-hardness, which the rain had not soaked. Below that was an interesting layer up to 2 cm thick ice lamella. The ice lamella was on a layer 18 cm thick of 1-finger hardness. Details in the snow profile.
In the shear test, we were interested in the layer below and above the ice lamella. We performed CT (Compression test, Canadian method).
In the first case, the layer below the ice lamella collapsed during column cutting with the saw. Then we did two more tests and in both, the entire layer below the ice lamella collapsed after 13 taps. The results from this test indicate a high risk of slab sliding! The avalanche danger level (ARSO) for 13.1.11 was 3.
Avalanches released on southern slopes mainly above Šitom Glave. Snow deposits were visible on Robičju.