Avalanche warnings after heavy snowfalls in Austria, Italy

East Tyrol, Austria and the Dolomites

Yes, it’s winter. But this report says they’re checking the snowfall record books. Major skiing events have had to be cancelled or relocated. One area reported a metre of snow in 24 hours. Is this a one-off or a sign of things to come?
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Heavy snowfalls and rain have caused chaos in alpine Austria and northern Italy, reports DW.com.

Avalanche alerts apply in Austria’s East Tirol and Italy’s Dolomites and South Tirol. Italy’s Po river is among those flooded.

Austrian authorities declared avalanche alerts Sunday as heavy snowfalls blocked roads and rail segments and left thousands of homes without electricity.

Across Italy’s northern Emilia-Romagna region, rising rivers prompted evacuations as the north’s main conduit, the river Po, rose 2.5 meters (8 feet) in 24 hours.

Schools in Austria’s East Tirol and Carinthia were ordered closed for Monday as Tirolian avalanche expert Rudi Mair warned that moist snow slabs could slide.

The falls coincided with hefty debate across alpine Europe about banning skiing to minimize coronavirus contacts.

Austria, France and Italy have plans to shut or severely restrict access to slopes this coming holiday season while Switzerland plans hygiene rules to keep them open.

Snowfall record books checked

By Sunday, new snow readings over 24 hours neared records: At Umhausen in East Tirol 80 centimeters (31 inches) were recorded from Saturday into Sunday.

At the Brenner Pass, 90 centimeters of snow were recorded. Rail traffic through to the Italian city of Bozen was halted because of landslide and avalanche risks.

In Italy’s Dolomite and South Tirol regions, rescue services were called out hundreds of times. Houses were evacuated in Emilia-Romagna as the river Panaro overflowed its banks.

Full report here.