Snow chaos in Styria: Up to 15 cm of fresh snow causes traffic problems!

Snow chaos in Styria: Up to 15 cm of fresh snow causes traffic problems!

A massive snowfall caused chaos in Styria on Thursday evening. Frost and precipitation brought by the “Max” disturbance front caused trees to fall under the weight of the fresh snow. According to the report by 5 minutes Road users in Graz had to accept diversions due to fallen trees, while around 9,000 households in the Deutschlandsberg, Preding and Stainz districts were temporarily without power. Fortunately, Urs Hernik from Energie Steiermark reported that the situation quickly eased and only 500 households were affected, with the disruption fully resolved in the next few hours.

Fight against drought

While the snowfall caused some short-term problems, Styria has struggled with significant water shortages in recent months. February began with no significant precipitation, and the deficit of snow was alarming, as well Small newspaper reported. In many regions, rainfall has fallen up to 80 percent below normal in recent months. Farmers and well owners are increasingly concerned about the impact of this drought on agriculture and groundwater levels. While the weather forecast shows some relief from the snowfall, it is not expected to provide long-term solutions. Temperatures are expected to rise to 4 degrees over the weekend, meaning the snow in the valley areas will not last long and the challenges of the dry months will continue.

While the current weather situation initially offers some relief, the long-term climate situation in Styria remains worrying. The authorities warn of the risk of forest fires and appeal to the population to be careful. The combination of drought and sudden snowfall could only temporarily alleviate the existing problems, with no sustainable solutions in sight.