Snow flurries throughout the night and early morning caused numerous delays for travellers using Switzerland's rail system on Thursday.
This content was published on
1 minute
A heavy, wet snow snapped trees, which fell across tracks. The most affected regions included Zurich, Schaffhausen in the north and the areas around the Gotthard pass in central Switzerland.
Passengers moving between Spiez and Interlaken south of Bern were forced to take buses when rail service there was interrupted around 7am. Broken branches and trees blocked roads.
Farmers in the Bernese Oberland also awoke to snow-related problems. Damaged fences allowed their cows to wander freely.
According to MeteoNews, the Swiss lowlands received the most snow for any October since records began in 1931. Zurich received 20cm, beating a record of 14cm set in 1939.
Trains were largely running on time again by 9am.
Popular Stories
More
Swiss Abroad
Switzerland’s priciest street makes room for a bakery shop
Should raw milk sales be banned or should consumers decide?
Swiss food regulations do not allow raw milk to be sold for direct consumption. However, a loophole allows 400 raw milk vending machines to do just that.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Ski resorts take advantage of early winter
This content was published on
Many parts of the Swiss Alps have never seen as much snow in November, according to the Swiss Federal Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research. Davos was one of the biggest and best known of Switzerland’s ski resorts to move up opening day to cash in on the excellent conditions. The authorities in the southeastern…
This content was published on
An experiment in the eastern resort of Davos found that a thick layer of sawdust reduced the rate of melting better than fleece, which is also used to conserve glaciers. “Both methods work, but the lower the snow level the greater the advantage of sawdust,” Hansueli Rhyner, the institute’s project leader, told swissinfo on Friday.…
This content was published on
Rain blanketed much of the country over the weekend, particularly in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, causing floods and triggering mudslides. By Monday morning, the city of Lugano had received 170 mm of precipitation, more than the average total for July, according to the Federal Meteorology and Climatology Office. Up to one metre of snow…
This content was published on
Winter has arrived in Switzerland even though autumn technically lasts until December 21, the shortest day of the year. Record amounts of snow lead to precarious road conditions, delayed trains and many happy skiers and snowboarders.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.