Heaviest Snowfall in 100 Years Brings Chaos To Alpine Ski Resorts

Thousands of British holidaymakers face travel chaos in Austria today after the country experienced the heaviest snowfalls in a century and was bracing for another round of storms.

Three metres of snow fell in the space of 48 hours in some parts of the country and more than a metre is forecast to fall today and tomorrow. Yesterday the army was drafted in to help with the clear-up and to deliver supplies to towns and villages that were cut off.

Skiers arriving in — or trying to leave — the Alps were warned to expect delays and impassable roads. Scores of ski resorts across Austria and Switzerland were either closed, unreachable, or had very limited slopes open. Southern and eastern Germany also suffered heavy snowfalls.