Snow and heavy winds create avalanche risk in parts of Austria

Snow and heavy winds create avalanche risk in parts of Austria{mosimage}VIENNA, Austria – Austrian authorities called for helicopters to be put on standby Friday as new snowfall and strong winds in several Alpine provinces created a significant risk of avalanches.

Winds in the mountainous province of Tyrol put the risk level for an avalanche at three on a five-point scale on which five is the most dangerous step, but further snowfall led experts to predict that would rise to four later in the day.

Konrad Streiter, an official responsible for security in Tyrol, said authorities were taking precautions that involved putting an army helicopter base on alert through the weekend, when skiers, snowboarders and hikers were expected to be out in larger numbers.

The avalanche risk was also deemed high in Salzburg province, which was struck with snowfall and heavy winds expected to reach between 100 and 150 kph (60 and 90 mph) on Friday.

Snow that falls atop older crusts can create prime conditions for an avalanche if the new layer breaks away and begins moving. The risk was higher than usual at this stage in the season because it began snowing in many areas before the ground could freeze, meaning the bottom layer of snow might not adhere to the soil as it should.

In Vorarlberg, some trucks got stuck in the mountains and authorities had to block off a highway to dig through the snow and rescue them, the Austria Press Agency reported.

Last winter’s 48 avalanche deaths made the 2004-05 skiing season the second deadliest in Austria in the past 30 years, according to a recent report by the Interior Ministry and the Austrian Mountain Rescue Service. Only the 1998-99 season, in which 50 people were killed by avalanches, was deadlier, the report said.

– The Associated Press