Too Much Snow in Austria
Too Much Snow in Austria
Published : 01-Feb-2014 03:48
(A chairlift is nearly buried at Bad Kleinkirchheim this afternoon - a week ago there was limited snow cover at the resort)
What a difference a week makes. Less than seven days after there were doubts that the Hahnenkamm might be staged with too little snow and too warm temperatures following near drought conditions for two months, there have been huge snowfalls in Austria over the past 48 hours.
The snow is reported to be still falling and in parts of the country the government is advising people to stay indoors if possible and not to travel with many roads closed.
The south of Austria (Carinthia) extending in to Italy's South Tyrol is the most heavily affected with reports of up to 1.5 metres of snow in 48 hours, the snow is still falling.
Austrian television is claiming this is the "100-year snowfall," the largest single snow storm since 1917.
Where ski areas are able to open, the avalanche risk on slopes that have not been made safe and in off piste areas is reported to be, "off-the-scale."
The snowfall is causing serious travel problems for those who have to travel, even in the south heading down to the Adriatic coasty roads between Cortina and Venice airport are closed.
Across the Atlantic Colorado has also been reporting significant snowfalls with up to 80cm of powder reported in the last 48 hours by some resorts, Aspen Snowmass has especially deep fresh snow.
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