According to the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate, large avalanches may be triggered naturally in Troms and Ofoten. Varsom has issued an orange avalanche warning, indicating significant danger at levels 3-4, for parts of Troms and Nordland, including South Troms, Inner Troms, Salten, Lofoten, and Vesterålen. According to Anita Lillevik at Vegtrafikksentralen nord, when large amounts of rain come in a short time, the danger of slush avalanches increases significantly, which can come quickly and reach down to roads. The Norwegian Public Roads Administration notes that large amounts of rainfall in Nordland and southern Troms from Wednesday to Friday can lead to snow and slush avalanches.
Multiple reports indicate specific avalanche danger levels show large avalanche danger in Troms and inner parts of Nordland this weekend, with the danger at moderate but increasing two levels by Saturday. Varsom.no reports significant avalanche danger in Lyngen, South Troms, and Inner Troms, primarily linked to lee areas in the high mountains with unstable wind-drifted snowflakes. The rest of Troms has danger level two, moderate avalanche danger, multiple reports indicate. Naturvårdsverket reports significant avalanche danger in Abisko/Riksgränsfjällen and Kebnekaisefjällen, with level three on the five-grade scale until Thursday at 18:00, and level four, indicating large danger, expected on Friday.
Recent avalanche incidents include a person taken by an avalanche in Lyngen on Tuesday, dug out by hiking companions, and flown by rescue helicopter to the University Hospital of North Norway, according to multiple reports. Several avalanches have been observed in Troms since Wednesday evening, including in Lyngen and on Kvaløya, with four different avalanches observed at Vågen in Grøtfjord and one on Singeltinden in North Troms, multiple reports indicate. The avalanches are automatically observed by sensors and registered on RegObs, according to multiple reports. During the March 2025 avalanche cycle in Tromsø, there was a fatal outdoor accident at Pollfjellet in Lyngen, research indicates.
Weather warnings include a yellow warning from the Meteorological Institute for wind gusts along the coast of Troms on Wednesday, with gusts of 27 to 30 meters per second from the southwest and little to full storm on the coast. The Meteorological Institute has also issued a yellow warning for strong snowdrift in southern parts of Trøndelag from Wednesday afternoon, with difficult driving conditions possible. According to the weather forecast on Sysselmesteren.no, up to 70mm of precipitation and very strong southerly winds are forecasted in the region. The Meteorological Institute has issued a yellow avalanche warning for large parts of the country on Saturday and Sunday, with mild weather and snow possibly causing avalanches to release naturally.
Road and travel impacts are significant, with roads most vulnerable to avalanches where terrain is steep and valleys are narrow, according to multiple reports. There is a risk of flooding on roads, multiple reports indicate. These conditions may lead to convoy driving over Bjørnfjell and Saltfjellet in the days leading up to the weekend, multiple reports note. Roads may be closed and convoy driving introduced at short notice, with advice to use proper tires and drive according to conditions, according to multiple reports.
Avalanche science and safety advice from Varsoms links the avalanche danger to mountain areas, with advice to avoid travel in terrain steeper than 30 degrees with loose wet snow and avalanche runout zones. Avalanche forecasts in Norway use a danger scale from 1-5, low to very high risk, posted daily on Varsom.no, research shows. At danger level 2, moderate, very big natural avalanches are unlikely but medium-sized ones can still bury people, research indicates. An avalanche can run three times the vertical drop from the fracture line, potentially catching people on flat terrain, research notes. Ski tourers should carry avalanche beacon, probe, and shovel for rescue, and the first 15 minutes after an avalanche are critical for survival, with probability decreasing significantly after that, research advises.
Snowpack conditions are concerning, with Varsom.no reporting that the snowpack is poorly bonded on most steep slopes. Research indicates that triggering avalanches is likely even from low additional loads on many steep slopes, with numerous large-sized natural avalanches possible. In contrast, the snowpack is well bonded and stable in general at lower danger levels, with only sluffs and small-sized natural avalanches possible, research notes. Most avalanches occur naturally during periods of snowfall and windy weather, and they can be triggered naturally or by snowmobiles or skiers, research shows.
Historical context includes the avalanche cycle from March 15 to 21, 2025, which was the longest and most complex experienced by Wyssen Norway in Tromsø, research indicates. Eight large avalanches were documented in warning areas around Ullsfjorden in Tromsø during the March 2025 cycle, research shows. At Breivikeidet, four avalanches hit a road mapped with an annual nominal probability of 1/100 and 1/1000, research notes. The largest avalanche in the March 2025 cycle stopped 40 meters from an evacuated residential building, and local residents described the event as the most significant in decades, research reports. The March 2025 avalanche cycle involved steady snow accumulation over several days and a weak snowpack, not a single critical weather event, research explains.
Høgh's performance against top clubs like Manchester City, Atlético Madrid, and Inter is at such a high level that it must be taken seriously.
Other incidents include a boat capsizing at Flaget in Flakstad on Thursday evening, with two people flown to the University Hospital of North Norway in Tromsø, according to Lofotposten. Rescue leader Håkon Kjøllmoen confirms that two of those involved were sent to Tromsø, with unknown injury severity. There were two adults and one child in the boat; one person was taken to Gravdal hospital in Lofoten, and two others were flown to Bodø and then to UNN, multiple reports indicate. Emergency services responded to a report of a fire outbreak in a residential house in Mosjøen on Friday morning, which has been extinguished with no injuries reported, according to operations leader June Strand Jensen in the police log. The fire appears to have started in an intake cable, and police are opening a case, June Strand Jensen said.
Infrastructure updates reveal that repair work on Rombaksbrua is far more extensive than initially estimated, with at least nine suspension cables needing replacement instead of four to five, according to Statens vegvesen. The bridge will not be completed before 2027 due to long delivery times for the cables, which are specially ordered from abroad, Statens vegvesen reports. The bridge will still have one lane open with traffic lights until the work is finished, multiple reports indicate.
Legal and political news includes the Attorney General rejecting the complaint after the bus accident in Hadsel on December 26, 2024, where three people died, according to police prosecutor Kay Rønning-Nyvold. The decision to close the case came on December 8 last year and was appealed by the legal aid lawyer for the deceased and relatives, multiple reports note. A report from the Norwegian Public Roads Administration's accident group concluded that extraordinary wind conditions caused the accident and the driver could not be blamed, multiple reports indicate. At the county annual meeting of Nordland KrF in Bodø, Raymond Lillevik was unanimously elected as leader, and he is a trained theologian, multiple reports state.
Sports news involves Bodø/Glimt striker Kasper Høgh, who may make his national team debut for Denmark in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, multiple reports indicate. Denmark will face North Macedonia in the World Cup qualifier on March 26, with the winner advancing to a final against either the Czech Republic or Ireland, multiple reports note. Høgh has not been in a Danish senior squad before but has age-specific national team matches, and since New Year, he has impressed greatly for Glimt in Europe, scoring five goals in the last five Champions League matches, multiple reports say. National team coach Brian Riemer informed Høgh in the fall that he is on the national team's radar. Bodø/Glimt's Danish talent Mikkel Bro Hansen has reportedly chosen SEG as his new agency, according to transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano. Bro Hansen came to Glimt from Danish AGF Aarhus in January 2025 and has five appearances, one goal, and one assist in the Eliteserien, plus six goals in three cup matches last year, multiple reports indicate. SEG is a large international agency with several well-known names, including Cody Gakpo, Rasmus Højlund, and Pep Guardiola, multiple reports note.
Authorities' responses show that it is already blowing strongly in several places in northern Nordland, Troms, and Finnmark, but no bridges or road sections are closed due to weather as confirmed by Vegtrafikksentralen Nord. Ferry operator Boeal reports that several of their stops may be affected by the bad weather. The alpine center in Kroken, Tromsø, is closed due to prospects of little storm in gusts, multiple reports indicate. Red Cross groups in Narvik, Beiarn, and Rana report fine conditions in the mountains but danger of flooding on waters, according to Kristian Jørgen Rasmussen.
The Red Cross warns tourists and ice fishers to be extra attentive along water and ice surfaces during Easter, especially due to flooding danger in North Norway and parts of Trøndelag, according to Røde Kors.
Avalanche forecasting standards have been updated, with EAWS introducing a standard for typical avalanche problems and changing names of avalanche sizes and wording of the European avalanche danger scale, research indicates. EAWS's mission is to prevent loss of lives and damages due to avalanches by providing avalanche forecasting and warning services, research notes.
Today's avalanche warning for Longyearbyen has a low hit probability, green, with some naturally triggered avalanches possible from collapsing snow cornices, according to NGI.