Tyrolean expert warns

Over half a meter of fresh snow: high avalanche danger

A young ski tourer died under an avalanche in this gully in Sellraintal at the end of January.

(Bild: Bergrettung Sellraintal)

East Tyrol and the Zillertal Alps are particularly badly affected by the return of winter to Tyrol this weekend. Winter sports enthusiasts are urged to exercise restraint away from the secured pistes.

If the forecasts are correct, it will snow all over Tyrol until Saturday night - sometimes heavily. East Tyrol and the Zillertal Alps will be particularly affected, and even the Inntal Valley could be slightly white.

All exposures affected
The recent very favorable avalanche situation is therefore a thing of the past for the time being. "In East Tyrol and the Zillertal Alps, there is a high avalanche danger above the tree line on Friday, level four", says expert Christoph Mitterer from the Tyrolean Avalanche Warning Service. All exposures are affected. For the other parts of the country above the tree line, the avalanche danger is still considerable - level 3. Mitterer does not see any threat to traffic routes, level 4 is only relevant for winter sports enthusiasts.

They are confronted with a fresh snow problem: Potential danger spots are covered in snow and therefore cannot be identified. There is less snowfall north of the Inn, while the sliding snow problem continues in the lower regions.

In East Tyrol and the Zillertal Alps, there is a high avalanche risk above the tree line on Friday, level four.

Christoph Mitterer, Tiroler Lawinenwarndienst

Bild: Tiroler Lawinenwarndienst

Afull three Little relief is expected for the weekend. The snowfall will be over on Saturday and the weather will improve on a slightly foehn Sunday. The avalanche danger drops only minimally to - as Mitterer puts it - a "full three".

The expert therefore advises winter sports enthusiasts to exercise restraint.