Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Friday
Update on holiday traffic, good news on the energy front, and other Swiss news in our roundup on Friday.
Beginning of Christmas holidays: be mindful of traffic
School vacations in most Swiss cantons begin tomorrow, with many families taking to the road to go skiing or to other destinations.
As The Local reported on Thursday, heavy traffic is to be expected on motorways and main roads leading to mountain resorts, as well as out of the country.
According to the Federal Roads Office (FEDRO), among the most congested roads in the coming days will be the A1, A2, A3, A9 and A13, in particular in the regions of Zurich, Bern, Basel, Lucerne and Lugano, in the sector of the Gotthard tunnel, on the San Bernardino route between Sargans and Rothenbrunnen, as well as on the sections leading towards the Bernese Oberland and Valais.
This article provides detailed information on which roads will experience bottlenecks in coming days:
REVEALED: The Swiss roads to avoid during the holidays
Warning: Strong avalanche danger in the mountains
With the higher temperatures and subsequent thaw affecting Switzerland, the Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) is warning about the danger of avalanches in the coming days.
The windy and wet weather of the past days is making the conditions in the mountains risky, prompting the WSL to qualify the current risk of avalanches as “strong” (4 on the scale of 5).
This is especially the case in the Valais Alps, as well as between Adelboden (BE) and the Grimsel Pass.
Elsewhere in the Alps, the danger is 3 out of 5.
The weather is not expected to improve over the holidays, with forecasts calling for heavy rains and stormy winds.
READ MORE: Will there be a white Christmas in Switzerland this year?
Power outages unlikely in coming months
Despite early warnings about electricity cuts this winter, it now looks like massive power outages won’t happen after all.
That’s because French nuclear reactors, which supply power to Switzerland as well, are functioning again, after being forced to partly halt production, mainly due to corrosion problems.
While power shortages can’t be totally excluded — especially if the weather gets much colder — there is no imminent danger of blackouts.
If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected]
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Beginning of Christmas holidays: be mindful of traffic
School vacations in most Swiss cantons begin tomorrow, with many families taking to the road to go skiing or to other destinations.
As The Local reported on Thursday, heavy traffic is to be expected on motorways and main roads leading to mountain resorts, as well as out of the country.
According to the Federal Roads Office (FEDRO), among the most congested roads in the coming days will be the A1, A2, A3, A9 and A13, in particular in the regions of Zurich, Bern, Basel, Lucerne and Lugano, in the sector of the Gotthard tunnel, on the San Bernardino route between Sargans and Rothenbrunnen, as well as on the sections leading towards the Bernese Oberland and Valais.
This article provides detailed information on which roads will experience bottlenecks in coming days:
REVEALED: The Swiss roads to avoid during the holidays
Warning: Strong avalanche danger in the mountains
With the higher temperatures and subsequent thaw affecting Switzerland, the Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) is warning about the danger of avalanches in the coming days.
The windy and wet weather of the past days is making the conditions in the mountains risky, prompting the WSL to qualify the current risk of avalanches as “strong” (4 on the scale of 5).
This is especially the case in the Valais Alps, as well as between Adelboden (BE) and the Grimsel Pass.
Elsewhere in the Alps, the danger is 3 out of 5.
The weather is not expected to improve over the holidays, with forecasts calling for heavy rains and stormy winds.
READ MORE: Will there be a white Christmas in Switzerland this year?
Power outages unlikely in coming months
Despite early warnings about electricity cuts this winter, it now looks like massive power outages won’t happen after all.
That’s because French nuclear reactors, which supply power to Switzerland as well, are functioning again, after being forced to partly halt production, mainly due to corrosion problems.
While power shortages can’t be totally excluded — especially if the weather gets much colder — there is no imminent danger of blackouts.
If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected]
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