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WEATHER

‘Siberia of Switzerland’ too warm for cold festival

Around 1,500 people attended the annual Fête du Froid (cold festival) in La Brévine on Saturday, despite the fact that the relatively mild weather caused many of its planned attractions to be cancelled.

‘Siberia of Switzerland’ too warm for cold festival
Photo: The Local
The cold festival, now in its sixth year, celebrates the area’s reputation as the chilliest place in Switzerland, after it registered a record low of -41.8C in 1987. 
 
Due to its specific microclimate this so-called ‘Siberia of Switzerland’ regularly records extremely low temperatures in winter and has already reached -29.9C this year. 
 
However on Saturday the weather wasn’t playing ball. 
 
With temperatures at around 1-2 degrees and a distinct lack of snow, festival organizers were forced to cancel several planned attractions, reported news agencies, including dog sled rides, cross-country ski and snowshoe initiations and a snow sculpture activity which was replaced by wood carving. 
 
Nevertheless, visitors still packed out the restaurants, according to organizer Vincent Matthey – if only to shelter from the strong winds that battered the area during the afternoon.
 
It’s the second year in a row that the village has not lived up to its Siberian reputation on the day of the festival. Last year the mercury registered a spring-like nine degrees. 

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SKIING

Two skiers killed in Swiss avalanche

Two cross-country skiers have been killed in an avalanche near the plush resort of Klosters in southeast Switzerland, police said Saturday.

Two skiers killed in Swiss avalanche

The accident happened on Friday, the Graubunden regional police said.

“In the Schintersiten area they took a slope with a steep gradient,” a police statement said.

“Several avalanches broke out and dragged the two men about 200 metres down the rocky terrain.

“As a result, both the 54-year-old and his 57-year-old companion, both of whom lived in the canton of Bern, were fatally injured.”

The Graubunden public prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation alongside the cantonal police.

Before Friday’s accident, 12 people had lost their lives in avalanches in Switzerland since October 1 last year, according to statistics from the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research.

A total of 142 avalanche-related accidents have occurred, with 188 people swept away.

Earlier this month, six cross-country skiers went missing in a storm near the southern luxury resort of Zermatt. The group, aged 21 to 58, included five members of the same family.

Five bodies were recovered and the search for the sixth person was ultimately called off.

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