Extreme weather conditions in the Tyrol

We are back. Since Monday we are at school again – at least most of us.
Because of the extreme weather situation some of us were not able to start on Monday – teachers and students.
Here are some statements from my students how they achieved the weather situation in the last few weeks.
...when I was in the wood I suddenly heard a strange nose and a tree crashed down next to me. The wet snow had weighed it down. I was really lucky that it didn’t hit me. Daniel
...in our wood are many damages because of the heavy snow. That costs us a lot of money. The fire brigade had to do a lot of work. They had to pull many trees out of the streets. Some trees have even hit and damaged badly some houses. Romed
...I liked the weather. I was allowed to use our new tractor and the snowplow to clear the street and our yard of snow. But it was also very slippery on the road and so many car crashes and accidents happened. Hansi
...In some of the days it was really very dangerous because of the avalanches. Some parts from the Tyrol were no longer reachable because the avalanches had buried the streets. In some places – like in my home – there was no electricity for some hours or even for some days. The longest time I have heard about was four days! Stefan
...Usually snow in winter is very important because it covers everything and with this it keeps the cold air away from the soil and plants. We also need the snow for our skiing areas. Tourism is a very important industrial sector in our area and we couldn’t do without it! Skiing, sleighing, cross country skiing is a lot of fun for us and our tourists. Richard
...Many cars needed the snow chains. Without them it would have been nearly impossible to go from one place to another. Lukas
...The trains had problems in the last few days. Some trees had blocked the tracks. Even our skiing area was closed. The strong winds had sharpened the danger of avalanches and so it would have been a too high risk for the people! Florian
...Snow is important – so we can find jobs like ski instructor or snowplow driver. Florian
...It was not nice that we had to clear the snow every day – and on some days even every two hours. But finally I was also able to ski with my friend in terrific powder snow. Richard
...The snow is good for the soil. When it melts in spring the water reservoirs are filled up again. Andreas
...In some areas the people had to clear the house roofs of snow. It could damage the house or the roof avalanche could damage for example a house or hurt somebody. Andreas

This are some the experiences of the Austrians students in the last 3 weeks. But now the weather is getting better and we have beautiful days with blue sky and white glittering fields and trees. Winter is a fantastic time for sports and for fresh, cool air that brings your lungs and nature into a good state/condition.