The west of Austria woke on Thursday 23rd October to find that winter had arrived overnight, with torrential rain in low-lying areas, heavy snow higher up and disruption throughout Salzburg, Tirol, Vorarlberg, Upper Austria and Styria. Although the weather had been forecast, it seemed that few had prepared, and many motorists were caught with summer tyres still on their cars.
Flooding and avalanches
Both Salzburg and Upper Austria were hit by flooding, and the fire departments had their work cut out pumping out cellars, garages and underpasses.According to reports, 200 firefighters were deployed in Bad Ischgl alone, and 260 in Salzburg.
The mountains, of course, were hit by snowfall rather than rain, and many trees were brought down in Salzburg, Tirol and Voralberg, blocking mountain roads and passes and cutting off many communities. Snow was particularly heavy between 800 and 1100 metres, causing risks of avalanches, but it was also falling heavily at a lower level in Voralberg, particularly the Arlberg area, the Bregenz Forest, the Great Walsertal and Kleinwalsertal. Silvretta measured 80 cm of snowfall.
Road and rail chaos
Main roads were disrupted, too, including the Tauern motorway (A10) and the Faschinastrasse (L88). Quite apart from the snow itself, vehicles trying to get through with summer tyres became stuck, causing further blockages. The approaches to both the Tauern and Katschberg Tunnels were closed all morning before the jams could be cleared.
The railway line over the Arlberg in Tirol was blocked by fallen trees, and 300 metres of overhead lines were brought down between Bludenz and Landeck. The weather also caused power failures in Tirol, with up to 4300 homes without power at one stage.
A boost for winter sports
It wasn’t all gloom, though. In Styria, the snowfall brought the perfect start to the winter season in Ramsau am Dachstein and Schladming Planai. Many winter sports enthusiasts, including the Austrian biathlon and cross-country ski teams, took advantage of the thick virgin snow to start their training. By the time the season opened on the Planai on Saturday, a metre had been added to the snow.
Thursday morning was chaos in western Austria, but by the end of the day things were getting back to normal. With the Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics (ZAMG) forecasting more settled weather to follow, Austria can make the transition to winter in a more ordered fashion.
