Headline: Severe Avalanche Risk Alerts Issued Across Norway Ahead of Christmas
Article:
Norway is bracing for significant snow avalanche risks in several regions as the country prepares for Christmas. The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) has also issued warnings about varying ice conditions from Trøndelag and southwards.
Worsening Conditions
Orange alert levels for avalanche danger have been issued for Tromsø and Lyngen, Vest-Finnmark, Finnmarkskysten, Nord-Troms, Voss, Hardanger, and Indre Fjordane as the Christmas calm sets in. While moderate avalanche risk is currently forecast, increasing winds could exacerbate the situation, leading to more avalanches, according to Karsten Müller, duty leader at the avalanche warning service, speaking to NRK.
Safety Advice
The warning comes with several safety recommendations:
- Travel in avalanche terrain requires solid knowledge, experience in route selection, and the ability to identify avalanche hazards, according to Yr.
- Generally, avoiding avalanche terrain is advised.
LANDSTRAKT: Avalanche warnings cover several mountainous areas in Norway. Photo: Screen dump / Varsom
Natural Avalanches
In the north, particularly in Lyngen municipality, there’s an additional warning of natural avalanches that could damage infrastructure, as stated by Müller to NRK.
Ice Warnings
From Trøndelag and southwards, there are warnings about varying ice conditions. Varsom reports that there’s a high risk of falling through the ice, especially near land, inlets, and outlets, and in narrow sounds. This is due to fluctuating weather that has shifted from brief cold and snowy periods to mild weather, preventing ice from growing thick.
Lowland Ice Conditions
Varsom also reports that there’s little or no traversable ice in lowlands, even on small lakes up to Trøndelag.
