Four Pyr茅n茅en departments on avalanche alert
Four departments on the French-Spanish border are still on avalanche alert today after M茅t茅o France extended its 鈥渙range鈥� warning in the area.
The Pyr茅n茅es-Atlantiques (64), the Hautes-Pyr茅n茅es (65), the Haute-Garonne (31) and the Ari猫ge (09) are for the dangerous weather phenomenon. 鈥淥range鈥� is the second-most serious alert level, just down from the highest 鈥渞ed鈥�.
The alert - which is set to last from 6h54 today (Friday December 29) until at least 6h00 tomorrow morning - continues from the previous 24 hours, which also saw an orange avalanche alert in place in the region.
The warning was put in place after heavy snowfall in the Pyr茅n茅es, with 50-60cm of fresh snow having fallen at altitudes of more than 1,500 metres since Tuesday. Strong winds and even more snow higher up - up to 60-80cm of fresh powder - have also made conditions more dangerous.
The avalanches expected are likely to be what M茅t茅o France calls 鈥渕oderate鈥�, but in some cases many threaten certain sections of road across the mountains.
Anyone in the area is advised to check the state of roads before travelling, and to pay close attention to any local instructions in mountain areas or in ski stations.
