There is now a red danger warning for avalanches in Indre Troms, according to Varsom.no. There is also a risk of landslides in a number of other places in the country. – The snow that came last night makes it very easy to solve avalanches in several places in northern Norway, especially in the inner part of Troms, says Heidi Bakke Stranden, supervisor in NVE’s avalanche warning. And now it is also being reported about a new polar low pressure on its way to Nordland and Troms on Christmas Day. That means even more snow, which is unlikely to reduce the risk of avalanches. Some of the northerners do well to keep the snow shovel warm during Christmas. The weather will be changeable and around 0°, says the meteorologist. Graphics: Meteorological Institute – It will be windy and snowy tomorrow. This seems to be able to produce strong gales and perhaps a small storm along the coast in the far north of Nordland and in Troms, says on-duty meteorologist Jon Austrheim to news. Earlier in the week, there was snow chaos in a number of places in Norway. While those south of Nordlandsporten seem to be getting away in this round, the Nordlanders have to steel themselves for more stormy weather. The amount of snow in Tromsø has, for example, doubled overnight, says meteorologist Austerheim. This is how it looked earlier in the week in Troms. Now a new round of polar low pressure is announced. Avalanche danger also in the west In Nord-Troms, Tromsø, Lyngen, Lofoten, Svartisen and Helgeland there is an orange danger warning. But it’s not just the north of the country where you should plan your trip well if you get new skis for Christmas. In the west, there is a significant risk of avalanches in Jotunheimen, Indre Sogn, Voss and Hardanger. – There is light snow in several places in western Norway and it is very easy to clear avalanches here too. We recommend people who are going out today and in the days ahead to stay on flat terrain, says Heide Bakke Stranden in NVE. There are usually good hiking opportunities in Jotunheimen, but maybe not right now. There is a significant risk of avalanches. Photo: Even Lusæter / news If you still want to go skiing on Christmas Eve, you should stay in terrain that is less steep than 30 degrees. – We recommend people who are going out before Christmas dinner to avoid all avalanche terrain. It is very easy to solve landslides and we ask people to make the trip to less steep terrain, says Bakke Stranden. – How long will there be a risk of avalanches? – The way the snow is built up now, we will have a problem with light snow for quite some time to come, she says. How to avoid avalanches Read the avalanche warning for your area. Familiarize yourself with what the different degrees of danger and avalanche problems will mean for your journey in avalanche terrain. Plan your trip at home – prepare for the trip according to weather and snow conditions, and according to the experience and knowledge level of the tour group. Pay attention to the danger signs of avalanches that nature gives you: fresh avalanches, cracks in the snow surface, rumbling from the snow cover when under load. Have good traffic routines. Walk in avalanche-prone areas one at a time or keep a good distance from each other. Stop/wait only at safe stopping points – places where you cannot trigger avalanches and where you cannot be drawn by avalanches from above. Be able to recognize avalanche-prone terrain. Where can landslides occur, and how far can landslides go? Always make well-thought-out road choices – ask yourself the question “why can I travel here”? There is a particular risk of avalanches with: Soft snow and wind in the last two to three days. Cracks and noises in the snow cover (rumble). Fresh landslides nearby. Suddenly mild weather. Cold periods followed by precipitation in the form of snow. Severe cold creates a layer of frost on the surface of the snow, on which even small amounts of snow can slip. Most accidental avalanches in the mountains occur when there is dry snow that has been transported by the wind. Skier Nikolai Schirmer’s tip: Pack an avalanche finder, search stand, shovel and wind bag to avoid hypothermia. Consider driving with an avalanche bag that inflates and makes you float on top of the snow. Have your mobile phone easily accessible to notify the rescue centre. Bring sports tape to treat minor injuries. Source: Red Cross There is also an orange danger warning in a number of other parts of Northern Norway – among others in Tromsø, Lyngen, Ofoten, Sør-Troms and Helgeland. It is expected that the danger will decrease somewhat on Sunday, but it will still be orange level in a number of places. – Keep a good distance from all avalanche terrain, write the warning service on their websites. Check the avalanche danger where you are here. Affects air traffic and several roads In Tromsø, so much snow has fallen that it affects air traffic on Christmas Eve. – We are working on. Serious amounts of snow have arrived, and we are prioritizing hard to get it going, says operations manager Per Erik Nordsveen at Tromsø airport Langnes. – Everyone is having a hard time. But flight safety comes first, he assures. And those who are going to travel on Christmas Eve will probably have to expect more delays. This group met the morning birds in Tromsø on Christmas Eve. The amount of snow has doubled in the past 24 hours, according to the meteorologist. Photo: Knut Anders Finnset / news – It tends to spread. One just has to be patient. Everyone here is doing their best to ensure that things go as quickly as possible, says the operations manager. It is the coastal area from Andenes to Sørøya that is most exposed, according to the warning. The polar low pressure will cause a rapid change in wind strength and direction from night to Sunday. On Sunday afternoon, the low pressure will weaken, reports Varsom. – There are warnings of difficult driving conditions due to heavy snowfall in combination with wind. This means that it can be difficult to get there due to snow, snowdrifts and reduced visibility, says traffic operator Synnøve Lukkassen at the Swedish Traffic Agency. Christmas Eve at Andenes was quite so hectic this year. Photo: Statens vegvesen Snowfall and wind are also expected on the south side of the polar low pressure, from Salten and northwards. – With the weather that has been reported, there is reason to avoid unnecessary traffic in exposed areas. If you have to go vegan, keep yourself updated about which roads are open, says Lukkassen. Several roads in the region are already closed as a result of the weather. A white Christmas in almost the whole country But in all the stormy weather, there is also something that many people think is nice. State meteorologist Eirik Samuelsen says to news that it will be a white Christmas over almost all of Norway. More people than usual get Christmas off this year. But the snow will not last as long everywhere. Photo: Elise Amendola / AP – It is the coastal area in the south of Western Norway, in Rogaland and in Southern Norway there is no snow. But otherwise, it’s actually gone. – It is quite unusual at this time, actually, Samuelsen explains. The first day of Christmas can still be rejoiced over. Then large parts of southern Norway get rain.
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Varsom reports an avalanche warning – news Troms and Finnmark
