Huesca, Spain—A sudden, violent blizzard dumped over eighty centimeters of heavy snow onto unstable mountain faces, triggering a massive avalanche that swept through a designated backcountry ski route. The wall of packed snow broke from an upper ridge line late Wednesday morning, burying five people under four meters of winter debris. Three skiers were confirmed dead after rescue teams dug out their locations.

The sudden storm caught mountain sports enthusiasts completely by surprise after weeks of clear, mild mountain conditions. High winds reaching ninety kilometers per hour prevented emergency medical helicopters from flying anywhere near the slide zone. Mountain rescue units had to deploy from the base valley using heavy snowshoes and specialized avalanche probes.

Two survivors managed to trigger their emergency air bags, keeping them close to the snow surface when the slide stopped moving. They used personal beacons to signal their position to other skiers in the area, who began digging with small hand shovels. The survivors are currently being treated for severe hypothermia at a mountain shelter site.

A regional police coordinator stated that the force of the slide snapped mature pine trees and carried rocks into the main access valley. The sheer weight of the snow pack makes further collapses likely along the adjacent slopes. Ski resort managers closed all remaining lift installations and ordered everyone off the open trails immediately.

Avalanche dog handlers arrived at the staging area by mid-afternoon to assist in clearing the remainder of the slide track. The search focus is on verifying that no other unlisted cross-country travelers were moving through the canyon when the ridge fell. Heavy drift snow is quickly covering the tracks, complicating the work for the ground teams.

Local mountain guides criticized the regional park service for not shutting down access routes when the blizzard warning went out early Wednesday. Park administrators countered that the storm developed far faster than standard predictive modeling showed, transforming from a light front into a major blizzard within an hour. The local magistrate opened an inquiry into the timing of the official park closures.

Road crews are using heavy plow equipment to clear the main access highway leading up to the ski stations, which is blocked by smaller drifts. Multiple cars remain stranded along the mountain pass roads, abandoned by drivers who fled the whiteout conditions on foot. Local hotels turned their common rooms into emergency shelters for stranded tourists.

Weather stations at the upper peaks indicate that sub-zero temperatures will lock the current snow pack in place overnight. The deep freeze will create a hard ice crust, increasing the risk of secondary slides if wind speeds pick up again. Mountain rescue teams plan to hold their positions at the mid-station shelter until dawn.

The identities of the three dead skiers are being held until consular offices can notify their families abroad. The local morgue in Huesca received the bodies late Wednesday after a difficult descent through the lower valley roads. All backcountry travel in the southern Pyrenees remains strictly banned until further notice.