Plenty of fresh snow - A return to winter in the Alps

A powerful cold front will bring a marked onset of winter to the Alpine region from Wednesday. The snow line will then drop to valley level in many places.

At medium and higher altitudes, the snow is set to remain on the ground, so motorists should expect slippery roads in these areas. There may be delays or restrictions on major north-south routes through the Alps, such as the Gotthard, Brenner and Tauern motorways.

Large amounts of fresh snow are accumulating at high altitudes on the northern side of the Alps. From the Mont Blanc region to the Swiss canton of Graubünden, there are widespread accumulations of 30 to 50 centimetres, and in parts of the Austrian Alps up to 80 centimetres. In areas affected by wind-driven snow, the accumulation may be significantly greater in places.

As a result, the risk of avalanches is increasing. In addition to the large amount of fresh snow, drifts caused by strong winds are the main factor exacerbating the avalanche risk.