Austrian avalanche warning

Snowfalls and storms have created unstable conditions ripe for avalanches in Austria’s Alps, experts warned today.

A crust of newly fallen snow ranging in depth from six to 18 inches has rendered key skiing and hiking areas “particularly accident-prone", said officials with the Avalanche Warning Service.

Conditions were especially acute in the northern Alps in and around Kitzbuehel, a top resort area that draws tens of thousands of skiers and snowboarders.

The Service said strong winds had created drifts that could break away from a base of older snow and trigger potentially deadly snow slides.