Extreme snowfall in the Northern Hemisphere has led to a series of tragic avalanches. In the Sierra Nevada mountains in California, the bodies of nine skiers, gathered during an expedition interrupted by a blizzard, have been found. Simultaneously, in the merciless conditions of the Austrian Alps, at least five people, including a Pole, have died under masses of snow. The elements have also forced a paralysis of transport infrastructure.
Conclusion of American Search
Rescuers recovered the bodies of nine skiers from the snow-covered areas near Lake Tahoe, who were swept away by the elements while retreating from an approaching snowstorm.
Death of a Pole in the Alps
A half-kilometer-wide avalanche descended in Austria's Tyrol, killing, among others, a Polish citizen and an American who were skiing off designated trails.
Europe's Transport Paralysis
Heavy snowfall means winter chaos: Vienna airport canceled over a hundred flights, and tens of thousands of Styrian households were left without electricity.
Rescuers in the American Sierra Nevada mountains have concluded a dramatic search operation on the slopes of Castle Peak near the artificial Lake Tahoe reservoir. After four days of battling extreme weather conditions, the bodies of nine people were located and recovered: seven women and two men aged between 30 and 52. The group, which included highly experienced guides, attempted to abort a three-day expedition due to an approaching storm. However, on the way back, the skiers were swept away by rapidly sliding snow masses. Due to the still intensively falling snow and the serious instability of the mountain slope, the rescue operation was repeatedly suspended for the safety of the services themselves. The Sierra Nevada range has long been considered one of the most unpredictable terrains in North America. Due to the specific topography and proximity to the ocean, the layered structure of the mountain snowpack there is exceptionally prone to fractures. The region remembers numerous historical tragedies, including the buried trails of early western settlers. An equally terrifying scenario unfolded in Central Europe, where unusually massive snowfall in a relatively short time drastically increased the scale of natural hazards. In the Austrian federal state of Tyrol, on the outskirts of the luxury resort Sankt Anton am Arlberg, a devastating avalanche formed with a width approaching nearly half a kilometer. Huge masses of white powder struck an international group of freeriders at great speed. A Polish citizen and a tourist from the United States died on the spot, while a 21-year-old Austrian died a moment later despite immediate attempts at professional resuscitation. A 23-year-old Dutch citizen swept away by the avalanche also suffered serious, life-threatening injuries. 30 000 domostw — households without power in eastern Austria Further accidents happened nearby. Just a day before the tragedy in Tyrol, in the eastern Austrian state of Styria, a young Slovak citizen died while skiing far from protected trails near Hoher Zinken. Experts and local officials are speaking loudly about the causes of such powerful slides. „Intense snowfall over the last week led to accumulations of up to 1.5 meters (5ft). Combined with windy conditions and weak snowpack below, the conditions were especially susceptible to avalanches” — Representative of the Tyrol government The difficult and rigorous weather mercilessly tested the flexibility of European infrastructure. The disrupted Vienna airport urgently had to cancel over 150 flight connections. Simultaneously, Swiss road services were forced to cut off main highways in the cantons of Glarus and Uri, fearing that car convoys would be buried.
Perspektywy mediów: Local portals highlight the impact of climatic phenomena on sudden and violent precipitation anomalies, calling for a transformation of the warning system in mountain regions. Conservative media emphasize the issue of a lack of discipline among skiers going off-piste and call for them to be fully charged for the costs of gigantic rescue operations.