Heavy snow hits Austria, snow levels at almost ten-year high

Exceptional early-December snowfall was reported across the Alps this week, with parts of eastern Austria receiving the heaviest snowfall in 9 years.

In Burgenland, up to 30 cm (11.8 inches) of snow fell overnight on Wednesday, and power outages are impacting several hundred homes in Carinthia in the districts of St. Veit an der Glan, Spittal an der Drau, and Villach-Land after nearly 40 cm (15.7 inches) of snow fell.¹

20 to 40 cm (7.9 – 15.7 inches) of snow are reported to have fallen in the Austrian mountains and 50 to 60 cm (19.7 – 23.6 inches) in Vorarlberg, East Tyrol, and Carinthia.

Austria’s Centre for Severe Weather has issued its highest alerts for Vorarlberg, Tyrol and Carinthia and snow clearing vehicles have been out in force to keep roads in operation.

An avalanche in the Salzburg region, on the border with Germany, killed 3 people and injured two while they were skiing off-piste, Austria's Red Cross said Saturday, December 4.²

The snow buried a group of 8 people up to 4.5 m (14.7 feet) deep, local emergency response official Christoph Wiedl told local media.

Two of the victims were already dead when their bodies were recovered, while the third died after being airlifted to hospital in Klagenfurt.

References:

¹ Austria hit by record snowfall – and there’s more to come – The Local

² 8 Buried Under Snow, 3 Killed While Skiing Due To Avalanche In Austria – AFP

Featured image credit: Daniel