Record Snowfall in the Alps

Aquals

Anyone know what has caused this and if there will be more of this snowfall this week or next?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2085131/Snow-Alps-Freak-snowfall-traps-1-000-British-skiers-Austrian-Alps.html

Thousands of British skiers are said to be stranded across Europe after heavy snowfall trapped them in their ski resorts.
Austria, southern German, France and Switzerland have seen freak snowfalls dumping up to 18ft of snow and blocking roads and railways.
But in a case of 'too much of a good thing', the heavy snow has increased the likelihood of avalanches, leading to pistes and lifts being closed as well as road between different parts of ski resorts.

In the Austrian Alps, it is estimated that 1,000 Britons are trapped after 10ft of powder fell in 48 hours, cutting off popular resorts like Ischgl, Galtur, St Anton and Arlberg.
Rainer Silberberger, mayor of the Wildschvnauer region, said: 'We are working around the clock to clear roads and secure the snow falls. I've never seen weather like it.'

In the popular ski resort of Ischgl a total of 17,000 people are thought to be snowed in and in neighbouring Galtur experts are studying the slopes from helicopters as there is a high risk of an avalanche.
St Anton tourism chief Martin Ebster has confirmed that all roads in and out of the ski village are closed due to the quantity of snow that has fallen.
Avalanche warning service spokesman Rudi Mair said: 'This is a type of snow fall the like of which we have not seen for years. Combined with that there are very high winds which are making conditions especially dangerous.'
Worst affected is western Austria and southeastern Switzerland, in the heart of the Alps, which has been virtually paralysed by the 'once-in-a-decade' snowstorms.
Just last week Switzerland had a similar problem when skiers became trapped in the resort of Zermatt, which sits in the foothills of the Matterhorn.
A major avalanche, triggered by heavy snowfall, blocked the roads and railway, cutting the village off.
Adverse weather conditions also struck France, with the road between the high-altitude resort of Tignes and Bourg St Maurice closed several times last week due to high wind and the risk of avalanches.
At one point over the weekend, just three chairlifts and a draglift were open in Tignes.

Austrian weather service ZAMG said some places had not seen snow 'so deep' in more than 30 years, adding that the village of Nauders last saw a similar depth of 47in in 1951.
And in Germany the 9,718ft summit of the Zugspitze, which only had 7.5in of snow six weeks ago, now has 150in.
The main access road, along the Paznaun Valley from the town of Landeck to Ischgl, was open for a while on Saturday – allowing holidaymakers in and out of the resort. But since then the road has been closed because of the high risk of avalanches.

Musicman2000

And they were worried at the start of the season there wouldnt be enough snow, Hopefully they will send a bit our way.:)

Deep Easterly

Cool pic on the Irish Times website:


http://www.irishtimes.com/
"Snow covers a chapel today in Ischgl, Austria. Heavy snowfalls have caused chaos by blocking rail and road connections, stranding holiday makers at mountain ski resorts and creating the risk of avalanches throughout the region".
Photograph: Johannes Simon/Getty Images

davidsr20

If there getting this much this late is it not a good sign for us ?

riffmongous

It's interesting, I'm in Vienna and the temperatures have only dropped below 0C once or twice so far this winter, its been incredibly mild.