Tourist destinations hit by snow spell
Heavy snow returned to Switzerland over the holiday weekend, blocking several tourist resorts in the Alps.
Grindelwald, at the foot of the Eiger mountain, was particularly affected, with some 450 tourists stuck on a train for several hours at the railway station on the Jungfraujoch, also known as the “Top of Europe”.
The Jungfrau railways said the stranded tourists were looked after while they sat it out on the Joch, and they eventually managed to reach Interlaken by bus by 10pm on Monday.
A rockfall also disrupted the train to Zermatt, one of Switzerland’s most popular mountain resorts.
Snow fell in western Switzerland down to 1,300 metres, in some places even down to 800 metres, and the temperature also dropped significantly.
In southern Switzerland up to 150,000 cubic metres of rock broke off a mountain face in the Calanca Valley.
The authorities said nobody was hurt in the incident which had been expected since last week.
The rockfall cut off 400 inhabitants in the area. The main road through the valley has been closed for safety reasons.
Situation improving
After heavy rain and snowfalls on Monday the situation on the Swiss road and rail network was gradually improving.
The spokeswoman for the Jungfrau railway said on Tuesday morning that trains were also running again on the busy tourist route between Interlaken and Grindelwald.
But the train route between Zweilütschinen and Lauterbrunnen, from where tourists can take a cable car to Mürren and the Schilthorn, remained closed. Passengers wanting to continue their journey had to change to a shuttle bus. Trains were expected to run again before the end of the day.
Meanhwile In addition to the disruptions to the rail network, several passes also remained closed on Tuesday morning, including the Gotthard, San Bernardino, Flüela, Grimsel, Nufenen, Oberalp and Susten.
swissinfo with agencies
Warmest location: Locarno-Monti 11.5°C (annual average)
Highest temperature: Grono (GR) 41.5°C August 11, 2003
Coldest location: Jungfraujoch -7.9°C (annual average)
Coldest temperature: La Brévine -41.8°C January 12, 1987
Highest rainfall in 1 day: Camedo TI, 414mm September 10, 1983
Highest rainfall in 1 year: Mönchsgrat 5,910mm, 1939/40
Driest location: Ackersand VS 521mm (annual average)
Longest dry period: Lugano 77 days (from December 6, 1988)
Highest new snowfall (per day): Klosters 130cm January 29/30, 1982
Highest snow amount: Säntis 816cm April 1999
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