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A deadly wave of avalanches swept through western Austria on Friday (February 20), killing at least five people — including an American — as intense snowfall, strong winds, and a weak snowpack created dangerous conditions across the region's mountain slopes.
According to Austrian authorities, five off-piste skiers were buried by a nearly 1,500-foot-wide avalanche in the St. Anton am Arlberg area of the Tyrol region, at an altitude of about 6,500 feet. An American national and a Polish national were among the three men recovered dead from that slide. A 21-year-old Austrian, also caught in the avalanche, was rushed to hospital but later died of his injuries. Two other men were pulled from the snow alive with injuries, following a major rescue operation involving four mountain rescue teams and three helicopters.
Earlier that same morning, at the Nauders-Bergkastel resort to the southeast, a 42-year-old German man and his 16-year-old son were caught in a separate avalanche. The teenager survived with injuries and managed to call for help, but his father was killed. In the neighboring Vorarlberg region, near the village of Klösterle, a 39-year-old Swiss snowboarder was also killed after being buried by an avalanche in an off-piste area.
Tyrol governor Anton Mattle addressed the tragedies in a statement, saying, "The recent snowfall is currently drawing many people to the mountains — even off-piste. It is painful that we have already had to record several avalanches with injuries and fatalities."
Nearly three dozen separate avalanche incidents were recorded on Friday alone, part of more than 200 avalanche events logged across the region over the past week. The governor's office confirmed that 11 people have now died in avalanches this month in Tyrol. Austria has recorded at least 21 avalanche-related deaths this winter overall, as the death toll across the broader Alps region continues to climb above seasonal averages.
The heavy snowfall also triggered broader chaos across Austria on Friday (February 20). Power outages and road closures were reported, particularly in the southeastern state of Styria, where a motoring organization described roads as "virtually inaccessible to private vehicles." Vienna International Airport temporarily shut down in the morning, and afternoon flights were disrupted. In the northern city of Linz, a 53-year-old man died after being struck by a snow plough that slid down a set of stairs where he had been clearing snow.
Authorities warned that conditions are not expected to improve soon. "No relief is in sight for Sunday either," the Tyrol regional office said in a statement. "The weather remains turbulent."
Officials continue to urge skiers and snowboarders to stay on marked runs, as police indicated the St. Anton avalanche appeared to have been triggered by the skiers themselves.