Enormous amounts of snow create havoc in the North
Heavy snow showers in the North of Norway have led to hazard level red for avalanches. In Lofoten, the infrastructure is paralysed by enormous amounts of snow.
“We are actually there that someone may have trouble to literarily open their front door. Focusing on neighbours is therefore very important,” Councillor of Vestvågøy municipality, Kjell Idar Berg tells NRK.
In the Lofoten Islands, it has snowed between 700 and 2000 millimetres.
“The conditions for motorists are extremely difficult,” local farmer Jack Lindgaard, states.
Lindgaard has himself moved out with his tractor to save three persons – among them a two-year-old – who were stuck in their car for four hours.
“It is from 700 mm to two metres here and there. That is too much for ordinary cars. It’s probably many decades since we had so much snow up here. I would recommend anyone staying here to stay indoors today and at least not take the car out for a spin,” he explains.
Avalanche hazard
On Sunday, there is a large hazard of avalanches – level four – in Lofoten and Vesterålen in Nordland, according to the hazard warning service of the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate, varsom.no. That is the second highest level. Monday the risk decreases to level three – significant. Level three applies to Tuesday as well.
The reason for the large avalanche hazard here is heavy showers which can lead to hard slab avalanches.
There is a danger of naturally-triggered avalanches leeward. Avoid steep hills during and after the snowfall until the loose snow has stabilised itself. The avalanche problem is anyplace where there is a lot of fresh snow in steep terrain.
In Ofoten and Salten there is considerable avalanche risk leading up to and including Tuesday as well.
Over large parts of Norway, the hazard level is moderate until Tuesday. This applies, for example, to mountain areas in Western Finnmark and several places in Troms and Western Norway.
Subsides on Monday
According to the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, the powerful snow showers in the north will subside during Monday.
“In Nordland, heavy snow showers have hit Lofoten in particular. The showers disappear on Monday, so then its just a matter of locating the snow shovel,” the meteorologist’s tweet.
“It is very rare that we experience such intense snowfall. Now it seems that the worst is over. The showery weather is now heading towards Northern Salten, but there will still be some showers accompanied by a gale from the southwest during the evening, Duty Meteorologist,” Signe Alvarstein, reports to Lofotposten.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
