Snow closes many Swiss mountain passes
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Snow closes many Swiss mountain passes
Several Swiss mountain passes were closed on Saturday due to snowfall. Up to 20 centimetres of fresh snow fell above 2,000 metres.
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The Furka, Gotthard, Grimsel, Nufenen, Pragel, San Bernardino and Susten passes were closed for safety reasons, according to the website of the Touring Club Switzerland (TCS) on Saturday afternoon. The winter closure on these routes usually takes place between November and May or June.
There were occasional traffic jams in front of the Gotthard road tunnel during these restrictions. The time lost travelling south was up to one and a half hours, and up to one hour and 20 minutes travelling north. The TCS recommended the alternative route via the San Bernardino tunnel.
Snow in the Alps
The Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology (MeteoSwiss) had forecast a snow line between 1,600 and 2,000 metres for Saturday. Above that, up to 20 centimetres of fresh snow is expected by the evening, especially in the central Alps.
This snowfall was brought about by a so-called high-altitude low, as MeteoSwiss explained on its website. It settled over the Alps last Monday and has remained almost stationary since then. However, this will not be the case for long: this weather situation is expected to move southeastwards over the course of Saturday.
Translated from German with DeepL/mga
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