Winter returns: Zermatt cut off after avalanche

Winter, like in many places, has made a comeback in Switzerland with up to a metre of snow falling in one day.

After an unseasonably mild winter, heavy snowfall has arrived to Switzerland, but not without consequence. In Zermatt, half a metre of snow fell in 24 hours, with twice as much on the surrounding mountains.

The railway connection in the Matter valley between Täsch and Zermatt was temporarily interrupted after an avalanche. The avalanche came down on the railway side and buried the track, with several more still expected.

Although the roads were not yet affected by the avalanche, roads have still been closed until further notice, leaving hundreds of tourists stranded in Täsch on their way to Zermatt, and vice versa.

Controlled, man-made avalanches have since been blown up by helicopters with the help of Air Zermatt, in order to mitigate the risk of further natural ones.

The SLF has issued the second-highest avalanche warning, level 4. In addition to the large amount of fresh snow, the strong wind is causing drifting snow to accumulate in wind-sheltered depressions.

Despite the temporary inconvenience of this, people in the mountain resorts are certainly happy about the winter comeback. After the exceptionally dry winter, the lack of snowmelt this spring threatened water shortages.

The previously record-thin snow cover has now grown back to average levels, at least in Valais and central Switzerland. In places like Graubünden however, snowfall has been significantly lower or even non-existent.

Winter also returned to some lowland areas, with cities such as Basel or Zurich waking up to a dusting on Saturday 11th March.