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Austria hit by record snowfall - and there's more to come

The Local Austria
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Austria hit by record snowfall - and there's more to come
A cross country skier walks through the snowy landscape near the village of Ramsau at the Dachstein mountains in Austria as temperatures were around the freezing point on January 4, 2021. (Photo by Christof STACHE / AFP)

Snow levels nationwide are at an almost ten-year high, with parts of Carinthia affected by power outages and up to 30 centimeters of snow in Burgenland as well as a thick coating in Vienna.

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Residents in the east and south east of Austria have woken up to the heaviest snowfall in nine years - with more forecast into the afternoon of Thursday, December 9th.

In Burgenland, up to 30 centimeters of snow fell overnight on Wednesday and power outages are impacting several hundred homes in Carinthia in the districts of St. Veit an der Glan, Spittal an der Drau and Villach-Land after nearly 40 centimetres of snow fell.

In the mountains, 20 to 40 centimeters of snow are reported to have fallen and, according to international weather service Ubimet, 50 to 60 centimeters of snow has already fallen in Vorarlberg, East Tyrol and Carinthia.

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Even the capital city of Vienna has several centimeters of snow with many public transport routes delayed on Thursday morning.

Austria’s Centre for Severe Weather has issued its highest alerts for Vorarlberg, Tyrol and Carinthia and snow clearing vehicles have been out in force to keep roads in operation.

The Kronen Zeitung reports emergency services have been kept busy with cars stuck in snow, fallen trees and pedestrians falling on slippery streets.

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More snow is forecast across the country on Thursday, especially in the east and south east, while snowfall is expected to ease in the west in the afternoon.

Upper Austria is the only part of the country where heavy snowfall is not forecast. The western areas of the Danube and Linz have reportedly had a light coating of snow and up to 10 centimeters is expected in the province.

Looking ahead to the weekend, most parts of the country should have some sunshine on Friday morning, while snow could persist in the west. By the evening, snow could return to Upper Austria, Salzburg and East Tyrol.

According to Bergfex, more snow is forecast in the Alps on Saturday and Sunday, while in the east and south east it should be dry and sunny.

Do you have photos of the snow in your part of Austria? Share them with The Local and we will publish the best images. Please upload a photo using the form below, or send an email to us at [email protected].

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