Great danger of avalanches – More than 1 meter of snow since Friday – News

12/06/2020 Sports, Switzerland

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The large amount of fresh snow in the south has created a great avalanche hazard in the Ticino mountains and southern Grisons.
Road and rail traffic is affected in many places, individual places are isolated.

Even today, Sunday, the snowfalls are causing problems for rail and road traffic. In the lowlands there was snow in some places on Saint Nicholas Day, but sometimes it turned into rain.

The police of the canton of Graubünden had to move on Saturday and Sunday due to 25 traffic accidents. Most of the accidents were minor, the majority of which were sheet metal damage in relation to winter road conditions. A car ran off the road in Laax on Saturday night. All three inmates, including a young child, were taken to Ilanz Hospital for medical examination.

In much of Ticino, throughout Graubünden, but also in parts of central and eastern Switzerland, more snowfall, sometimes heavy, should be expected until early Monday morning. Another 10 to 40 centimeters of fresh snow are added. The heaviest snowfall should end on Monday afternoon.

Due to the danger of avalanches, the Rhaetian railways closed the Bernina line between Pontresina and Poschiavo on Saturday night. Since the road has also been closed, track replacement buses cannot be used.

Rail traffic between Chur and Arosa has been interrupted since 18:00. All trains would be canceled, SBB announced Sunday night. The duration of the restriction is indefinite.

Furkastrasse between Hospental and Realp is also closed as avalanches are expected to decrease in the affected area. As a result, the Furka car transport service between Oberwald and Realp was also suspended.

Due to the danger of avalanches, the Sustenstrasse between Wassen and Färnigen had to be closed. The Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn reported a break in the line between Andermatt and Sedrun on Twitter on Sunday morning. At 10 o’clock the problem was solved. At Airolo, on the southern portal of the Gotthard, there are already 105 centimeters of snow.

Rail traffic between Erstfeld and Bellinzona is also affected on the railway line between Göschenen and Erstfeld. Heavy snowfalls cause delays, SBB’s traffic service said.

Great risk of avalanches

For today, Sunday, the Snow and Avalanche Research Institute (SLF) predicts the second highest danger level 4 for northern Ticino, the Calanca valley and the Misox, from Bergell to the Bernina pass, as well as in Poschiavo and much of the Engadine.

Otherwise, there would be considerable avalanche hazard (level 3) or moderate avalanche hazard (level 2). Large amounts of fresh snow and heavy snowdrifts were the main hazard in hazard level 4 areas.

According to the SLF, many spontaneous medium to large avalanches are expected. On steep and shady slopes, very large individual avalanches can be expected above 2400 meters. Exposed traffic routes are at risk. According to the SLF, individual winter sports enthusiasts could easily trigger avalanches. Conditions are critical for ski tours, freeride and snowshoeing on the slopes.

Accidents and blackouts

The large amount of fresh snow has already caused numerous deteriorations in the last two days, not only in the Alps. There were also numerous traffic accidents in the lowlands, for example in the canton of Bern on the night of Saturday 12.

And due to heavy snowfall, the power was cut off three times in parts of Graubünden since Friday. Hundreds of people were affected.