Accidents and danger of avalanches: snow masses in Bavaria and Austria

First the snow was eagerly awaited, now it causes accidents and above all the danger of avalanches in the Bavarian and Austrian Alps. Away from the ski slopes, extreme caution is required.

Heavy snowfall during the night has led to a large number of accidents in parts of southern and eastern Bavaria and hampered morning rush hour traffic. There were a few accidents, especially in eastern Bavaria, but they were largely minor.

The police headquarters in Oberpfalz alone reported almost 600 weather-related operations. There were 109 accidents with property damage. In 14 cases, people were slightly injured. Several streets had to be completely or partially closed.

Schools closed, railway lines closed

The Ministry of Education canceled school classes in the Lower Bavarian districts of Freyung-Grafenau and Regen and in the district of Cham on Thursday evening due to the snowfall. In the districts of Straubing-Bogen and Deggendorf, there were no classes in the communities north of the Danube or in Deggendorf itself.

In eastern Bavaria, the railway lines between Lam and Cham and between Cham and Waldmünchen were also closed. The German Weather Service predicted further snowfall for the high altitudes of the Bavarian Forest. According to the forecast, strong gusts of wind can lead to drifts.

Danger of avalanches in many ski areas

At higher altitudes, the heavy snowfalls also increased the risk of avalanches dangerously. In some areas, level four out of five prevails – that means great danger, said the avalanche warning center in the Bavarian State Office for the Environment. Away from the pistes, extreme caution is required.

Avalanches could go off by themselves without any additional load – or be triggered by a single winter sports enthusiast. The new and snowdrift connects poorly with the old snowpack. The avalanche situation is expected to remain critical at the weekend.

Tense situation also in Austria

In Austria, too, warning level four out of five now applies in large parts of the country. “With the fresh snow and the wind, we have all the ingredients for increased avalanche activity,” said Patrick Nairz, spokesman for the avalanche warning service in Tyrol.

Winter sports enthusiasts should stay on the slopes as much as possible. It was said that anyone who wanted to ski in the open area should be very careful and avoid steep slopes. After an avalanche in Gosau in Upper Austria, an injured person was rescued.

Also in Tyrol, a person was carried away by an avalanche, as reported by the ORF. The winter sportsman was buried in an avalanche in the open ski area in the Kitzbühel district. He was recovered and, according to previous information, was responsive, as a police spokesman for the APA news agency said.

Storm gusts and more snow expected

Regionally, more than a meter of fresh snow had recently fallen. Meteorologists expect gusts of wind on the mountains. By Sunday, there should also be significant amounts of snow above about 1000 meters.

Some roads are only passable for cars with snow chains. The fire brigade recorded numerous operations to salvage broken down vehicles. Until a few days ago, artificial snow was needed for winter sports in many places.