Massive Snowstorm Leaves High Avalanche Danger
4th March 2024
Last modified on March 5th, 2024
Huge amounts of snow have fallen in parts of the south west Alps. An avalanche struck an open piste in Saas-Grund in Switzerland killing a skier. A 16-year old boy died in Italy. Some resorts remain closed with disruption to transport. UPDATED
A skier was buried by an avalanche on the pistes in the Kreuzboden-Hohsaas area of Saas-Grund in Switzerland on Saturday.
The avalanche risk was at Level 3 – considerable.
According to the cantonal police an avalanche occurred at around 11:40 a.m. and hit the slope above the mountain restaurant in Hohsaas.
The avalanche caught a skier traveling on the 1a “Gletscher Hohkraut” run and buried him under a meter of snow.
Despite immediate resuscitation by search and rescue, the skier died at the scene.
It is rare for avalanches to come across the marked trails.
An investigation is underway.
One Monday there was a Level 4 danger of avalanche in the area, meaning there was a “high” risk of avalanche.
Image c/o Swiss Avalanche Institute.
On Tuesday the risk level in the area was downgraded to 3 – “considerable”.
Image c/o Swiss Avalanche Institute.
A 16-year-old boy died after being hit by an avalanche while skiing off-piste in Val Passiria in the Sud Tirol region of Italy.
In parts of Italy the risk has been at Level 5 – the highest level – in some resorts.
One was Macugnaga in the Monte Rosa area with heavy snow continuing on Sunday night.
Macugnaga, Italy. Image c/o Davros (Adrian Wallace).
Macugnaga, Italy. Image c/o Davros (Adrian Wallace).
On Monday the nursery slopes of the resort opened, but nothing else.
“The cornices on Monte Rosa need blasting before the runs can open properly and we are currently just skiing in the kids area,” said PlanetSKI reader, Davros, who is in the resort.
Macugnaga, Italy. Image c/o Davros (Adrian Wallace).
“There have been avalanches all morning on steep west facing rock faces,” added Davros.
The resorts around Monte Rosa in Italy are seeing the most of the snow – well over a metre in places and it is still snowing.
It has also spilt over into Switzerland and to some resorts across the border in France, including Val d’Isere.
Huge #avalanche in #lefornet #valdisere yesterday. Controlled blast released more power than expected. Thanks to Christèle from les Crozets for thé vidéo. #noonehurt #snowpower #avalanches #tignes pic.twitter.com/PHsD4iVnfR
— Simply Val d’Isere (@simplyvaldisere) March 5, 2024
The avalanche danger is at Level 4 in the French resort.
Avalanches are disrupting the transport system and in places people are being advised to travel only if essential.
Around 6,000 people living in the Gressoney area of the Aosta Valley have been cut off since Sunday as an avalanche blocked a main road tunnel.
Rhêmes-Notre-Dame in the Aosta Valley remains cut off after an avalanche blocked its access road.
There are no reports of damage to people or property.
The avalanche occurred in the hamlet of Mélignon and the road has been closed further down the valley, in the hamlet of Frassiney.
80 people are stuck in the village.
Some resorts around Monte Rosa report more snow in this storm than the whole of the rest of the winter so far.
Details have also been released of two avalanches in Davos in Switzerland at the weekend – one killed a ski tourer.
The avalanche risk was at Level 3.
The local police have issued the following statement:
“Shortly before 2 p.m., the operations control center of the Graubünden cantonal police received a report that a ski tourer had been completely buried by an avalanche in the Erezberg area above Davos Monstein.
“The rescue workers were able to locate a 57-year-old Swiss man under the masses of snow and finally dig him out.
“The seriously injured man was transported to the Graubünden Cantonal Hospital in Chur using a Rega helicopter.
“During the rescue and recovery work at Erezberg, a report of a missing ski tourer was received.
Erezberg avalanche. Image c/o Cantonal Police.
“Not far from the accident site on Erezberg, this person was located and dug out by rescue workers in another avalanche below the Leidbachhorn.
Leidbachhorn avalanche. Image c/o Cantonal Police.
“Any help came too late for the 49-year-old ski tourer.
“The Rega doctor who was called out could only declare death.
“Two Rega crews, two helicopters from Heli Bernina, rescuers from Alpine Rescue Graubünden with a rescue specialist helicopter and several employees from the Graubünden cantonal police were on duty in the two avalanche accidents.
“Together with the public prosecutor’s office, the Graubünden cantonal police are clarifying the exact circumstances of these avalanche accidents.”
We’ll be updating this article so do check back…
