At least five killed in avalanches in Austria’s Tirol region

Lead

On Friday, 21 February 2026, a series of avalanches in Austria’s western alpine regions — principally in Tirol and neighbouring Vorarlberg — killed at least five people and injured others, authorities said. Heavy snowfall over the previous week, with accumulations up to 1.5 metres and strong winds, created unstable layers that made slopes especially prone to sliding. A nearly 450-metre-wide avalanche near St Anton am Arlberg at about 2,000 metres altitude engulfed off-piste skiers and prompted a large-scale rescue. Additional fatal avalanches were reported at Nauders-Bergkastel and Klösterle as emergency services mounted multiple operations.

Key takeaways

• At least five people were reported killed after a large avalanche near St Anton am Arlberg; the slide was nearly 450 metres wide and occurred at roughly 2,000 metres elevation.
• Authorities said up to 1.5 metres (5 ft) of new snow fell over the preceding week, combined with strong winds and weak snowpack layers.
• Among those recovered after the St Anton slide were an American and a Polish national; a 21-year-old Austrian later died of injuries sustained and was taken to hospital.
• Separate incidents on Friday included a 42-year-old German man killed near Nauders-Bergkastel while his 16-year-old son survived with injuries, and a 39-year-old Swiss snowboarder killed off-piste in Klösterle, Vorarlberg.
• Rescue operations deployed dozens of mountain-rescue personnel, ambulance and fire crews and multiple search dog teams to the affected areas.
• Tirol officials reported nearly three dozen avalanche incidents on Friday and more than 200 over the past week; the governor’s office said 11 people have died in avalanches this month.
• Regional authorities warned that forecast conditions offered no immediate relief through Sunday, keeping avalanche risk elevated.

Background

Western Austria experienced an intense period of winter precipitation in the days before the incidents, with localized accumulations reaching about 1.5 metres. Strong winds accompanied the snowfall, redistributing fresh snow and creating wind slabs that overlie weaker layers, a classic configuration for large, destructive avalanches. Tirol and Vorarlberg are popular destinations for winter tourism; off-piste skiing and freeride routes attract experienced and recreational visitors alike, increasing exposure when conditions deteriorate.

Austria operates regional avalanche warning and mountain-rescue systems that coordinate police, fire and volunteer rescuers. In high-risk periods, authorities issue advisories and sometimes close marked routes, but off-piste areas remain difficult to police and can be rapidly hazardous. History shows that rapid accumulations combined with persistent weak basal layers often produce clusters of slides across a broad area rather than isolated events, stretching rescue capacity.

Main event

Tirol police said the largest incident occurred on Friday afternoon near St Anton am Arlberg, where five off-piste skiers were caught in a slide spanning nearly 450 metres at an altitude around 2,000 metres. Rescue teams recovered bodies at the scene; officials identified foreign nationals among the dead. A 21-year-old Austrian who was injured during the same incident died after being transported to hospital, police reported.

Elsewhere on Friday morning, an avalanche struck at the Nauders-Bergkastel resort to the south-east. A 42-year-old German man and his 16-year-old son were caught; the teen survived with injuries and called for help, but his father did not survive. Regional police in Vorarlberg reported another fatal event in Klösterle, where a 39-year-old Swiss snowboarder was killed after being swept in an off-piste area.

Dozens of mountain-rescue personnel, ambulance crews and fire department teams took part in operations, supported by multiple dog squads for search-and-recovery work. Officials said teams worked in difficult terrain and changing weather, complicating extraction and scene management. Local authorities tracked nearly three dozen avalanche incidents on Friday alone and said that total incidents exceeded 200 over the week.

Analysis & implications

The cluster of avalanches underscores how quickly mountainous terrain can shift from passable to lethal after heavy, windy snowfall. Fresh deep snow atop weak basal layers produces slab avalanches that can propagate widely; when multiple slopes reach critical stress, simultaneous or near-simultaneous slides become more likely, overwhelming local response resources. For ski-area operators, the events raise immediate questions about signage, slope closures and the limits of patrolled terrain during severe storm cycles.

For backcountry users, the tragedies reinforce the limits of individual mitigation: transceivers, probes and packs save lives in certain scenarios but cannot prevent burial from a large slab or protect against multiple overlapping slides. Public messaging from regional authorities and weather services will be crucial to discourage off-piste travel while danger levels remain high. Tour operators and rental businesses may face short-term cancellations, with economic effects for alpine communities that depend on winter tourism revenue.

On a wider scale, repeated high-risk weather windows strain mutual-aid arrangements between regions and countries that normally support mountain rescues. If hazardous conditions persist, authorities may need to expand temporary restrictions, increase patrols, or allocate additional rescue teams from neighbouring districts. Scientific monitoring of snowpack stability and targeted avalanche-control work — where feasible and safe — will influence the near-term risk profile.

Comparison & data

The table summarizes counts provided by regional authorities: nearly three dozen incidents on Friday and more than 200 over the prior week, with officials reporting 11 avalanche fatalities so far this month. These aggregated figures show both the frequency of hazardous events during the storm cycle and the cumulative human cost within a concentrated period.

Reactions & quotes

Officials expressed sorrow and urged caution. Tirol’s governor framed the incidents in the context of heavy snowfall and increased mountain traffic.

We are seeing large amounts of fresh snow draw many people into mountain areas, including off marked routes, and it is painful that several incidents have led to injuries and fatalities.

Anton Mattle, Governor of Tirol (regional official statement)

Rescue coordinators described the scale of the response and the operational difficulty of searching steep terrain under unstable conditions.

Teams from mountain rescue, ambulance and fire services, supported by dog squads, worked across several sites under difficult weather to locate and recover victims.

Tirol mountain-rescue coordination (official operational briefing)

Local observers and tourism operators voiced concern about ongoing risk and the need for clearer guidance to visitors about off-piste conditions.

Visitors often underestimate how fast conditions change; clearer, earlier warnings about off-piste danger could reduce exposure during major storms.

Local ski-area operator (industry representative)

Unconfirmed

• The precise breakdown of fatalities across the separate avalanche events reported on Friday remains partially unclear in public statements; some counts appear aggregated.
• It is not yet publicly confirmed whether the 21-year-old Austrian who later died was among the specific group recovered at St Anton or part of a separate incident.
• Regional snowpack measurements vary locally; the reported maximum accumulation of 1.5 metres reflects areas of heavy drift and may not apply uniformly across all affected slopes.

Bottom line

The avalanches that struck Tirol and neighbouring areas on 21 February 2026 were driven by a combination of deep, fresh snow and strong winds over a weak snowpack, producing multiple large slides and straining local rescue services. At least five deaths were linked to the largest slide near St Anton am Arlberg, with additional fatalities in Nauders-Bergkastel and Klösterle; officials recorded nearly three dozen incidents on Friday and more than 200 over the week.

Authorities and mountain-rescue organizations urge people to avoid off-piste travel while danger levels remain high, and to follow guidance from local avalanche warnings. In the coming days, monitoring, targeted control work where possible, and clear public advisories will determine whether the region can reduce immediate risk and prevent further tragedy.

Sources

• The Guardian (international news outlet) — original reporting summarising regional statements and rescue updates.
• Regional Government of Tirol (official regional government site) — public briefings and hazard advisories as reported by local authorities.
• Austrian Police / Tirol police (official law enforcement) — operational statements and incident summaries from regional police.