Industry News
Around half a meter or 20 inches of snow fell in lower regions of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland on Friday, December 1, 2023, resulting in chaotic situations across the three countries. Munich airport was closed the entire day Saturday, December 2, 2023, until December 3, 2023, at 6:00 in the morning with hundreds of flights canceled and travelers in the air diverted to other airports. The closure left thousands of people stranded or stuck. Footage from Munich airport went viral showing a private jet frozen to the ground.
Zurich airport saw several cancellations, while Vienna, which is further northeast, was not affected by the snow. However, areas in Austria close to the German border suffered large-scale electricity outages due to a power line being taken down by the heavy snow.
Rail traffic between Germany and Switzerland came to a standstill, and regional trains, busses and trams in affected areas did not operate at all or in some cases sporadically. Locals across the three countries made the most and brought out cross-country skis or sleds as a mode of transport instead or simply worked remotely. Thousands of people flocked to the few ski resorts that were not under high avalanche alerts, causing large delays at Zermatt for example.
Alpine areas received up to a meter of snow (40 inches) and large areas of Switzerland’s canton Graubünden have been put under high avalanche alerts. Residents in some mountain resorts have been asked to stay indoors while avalanche controls were taking place. Areas in Austria’s states of Tyrol and Vorarlberg close to the German border were also put under the second highest possible avalanche alert, level 4. Several mountain regions were entirely cut off from the rest of the world with pass roads being entirely unpassable due to snow, landslides, rockfalls, and fallen trees.
The snowfall was not just limited to those three countries but affected many European nations. Neighboring Czechia also suffered large power outages from the snowfall, while far in the north of Europe, Scotland’s Glasgow airport also suffered several delays and a temporary closure due to snowfalls.
Temperatures over the next 24 hours are expected to be below zero Fahrenheit, so relief from the current situation is not in sight. Meteorologists warn that conditions could be very icy and roads treacherous over the next few days.
