Monday, January 9, 2012

Snowfall is burying the Alps


Last year all the talk was about how the Alps were drying up, and how global warming meant that avid skiers had to venture to North America to get their powder fix. What a difference a year makes.

Many ski resorts in the Alps currently have snow depths of over 400cm on the upper slopes, and whilst that is great news for those venturing to ski resorts across the Alps, it also brings an avalanche risk, so take care peeps. According to welove2ski, road links to St. Anton, Lech and Ischgl have all been cut off due to heavy snowfall.

A buried house in St. Anton - photo from @macharza
Driving conditions are also difficult in Switzerland, with accumulated snowfall since Thursday reaching more than two metres in some parts of the country. Train travel has also become difficult, with many snow train destinations such as Bourg St Maurice being cut off.

The freak weather was due to a storm named Andrea. She started on Thursday and continued for three consecutive days, with winds reaching up to 200 km/h. As a result of the snow and winds, the avalanche risk remains 4/5 in most ski areas.

Photo from @Leetownsend - Road Closed in France
Is it a bad thing to have too much snow? Many think so, check out the article at PlanetSKI.eu.

0 comments: