Snow chaos in the Alps: customs and nobility are cut off!

Snow chaos in the Alps: customs and nobility are cut off!

Sitten, Schweiz - Winter returned to Switzerland with full force in mid -April 2023. Over a meter of fresh snow fell in numerous areas, which significantly impaired everyday life. There were dramatic incidents, especially in the French Alpine region. A woman suffered a heart attack in Tignes after an avalanche. Here the authorities immediately became active and appealed to the population to stay in their apartments. In one night alone, up to 110 cm of snow were registered in some regions.

The situation in the Valais, with around 36,000 inhabitants, was classified as a "complex". Streets and traffic axes were closed, including the Simplon Pass and the tunnel at the Großer St. Bernhard. These weather extremes meant that several ski stations were closed due to the high avalanche danger. The transit traffic by the canton of Valais was also severely restricted, and there were hours of waiting. At least three people died in northern Italy due to violent rains; A car in which a father and his son were located was carried away by a river stepped across the bank.

heavy rain and floods

In addition to the massive snowfalls, there were also violent rains, which resulted in floods in Tegna, Switzerland. These equally critical weather conditions were also observed in the Bernese Oberland, where massive snow and rainfalls quickly led to dangerous situations on Thursday night. Fallow trees and broken branches damaged power lines and led to short circuits. More than 3,400 power connections were temporarily separated from the power grid after the storms, while many mobile phone networks were also affected.

The repair teams are currently fighting to get to the affected places, since many streets, such as between Grindelwald and the small Scheidegg, are out of operation because of avalanche danger. The A43 motorway was also affected, so that truck was no longer allowed to pass the Mont Blanc tunnel between France and Italy.

other security warnings

In these extreme weather conditions, the avalanche risk remains high at all altitudes. Warnings of strong snowfalls and smoothness have been pronounced, and the population is urgently asked to stay in their houses and to create supplies of food and drinks. Weather experts and authorities point out that special caution is required on an existing layer of snow with new snow. Factors such as wind and temperature change can trigger avalanches that go off at speeds of up to 300 km/h and endanger both humans and buildings.

The information on security in these difficult conditions also advises to keep the distance between inclined roof surfaces in order to avoid snow avalanches and icicles. The risk of snow loads also leads to the possible risk of collapse in roofs. Authorities recommend taking advantage of professional help with snow load measurement and evacuation.

The current weather conditions require high vigilance and caution, especially in the affected areas of Switzerland and northern Italy, which are currently struggling with extreme amounts of snow and dangerous conditions.

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