Heavier than usual snowfall and high winds have caused chaos on roads and railways in many areas of Austria.
About 1.2 metres of fresh snow has fallen, closing sections of highway and isolating some towns since Thursday. Avalanche risk is extreme as more snow is forecast in the coming days.
Snowfall trapped some 15,000 tourists at ski resorts on the Arlberg Mountain on Friday, and while some roads are open there, others remain closed, the BBC said.
To prepare itself for any potential disasters, the Austrian army has put helicopters on alert.
High winds are also whipping the alpine nation, the International Business Times (IBT) reported.
