Numerous water bodies located in central Russia and in the north of the country are usually covered with ice in the winter. Being in nature, tourists, fishermen and hunters may well be in a critical situation if they come out on the loose ice. To avoid troubles, everyone should know the basic rules of behavior on ice and strictly observe them.
How to determine the strength of ice
A pond covered with ice can be dangerous for a number of reasons. In a lake or river, warm currents can pass that erode the ice below. The ice layer is also thinning with temperature changes and during thaws. Being on not too strong ice, a person puts himself at risk and can at any moment find himself in icy water. That is why in winter time on ponds you need to be extremely collected and careful.
The easiest way to determine the state of the ice cover is if the ice is free of snow. The most durable ice is considered to have a characteristic greenish or bluish tint. If the ice is milky or interspersed in the form of bubbles, this should alert you. Weak ice most often forms after heavy snowfalls.
Usually the ice cover of the reservoir is heterogeneous - some places are more durable, in others the ice is weaker.
Step on the ice and make sure that there are no large cracks on its surface. Ring-shaped cracks indicate that the ice is not very strong, so it is better to immediately refuse to move along it. Nostril ice of a yellowish hue, which usually forms after rain, is very unreliable. Only ice can guarantee complete safety when moving, when pressed, no cracks form at all.
Ice cover of fast-moving rivers can be dangerous, especially near the coast. In such places, the ice has a multilayer structure and is filled with small air bubbles that make the ice brittle. In the middle of fast rivers, coverage is more reliable.
It is recommended to go on ice in those places where it is not covered by snow, away from stones, rocks and flooded snags.
