US Edition Officials say tens of thousands of holidaymakers in the Tirol are cut off after more than 10ft of snow fell in just 48 hours, cutting off popular Austrian resorts like Ischgl, Galtur and St Anton am Arlberg.
In Ischgl, nearly 1,000 British tourists are 'trapped', while one Russian visitor reportedly managed to leave the resort by helicopter.
Many huge trees have collapsed under the weight of the snow, further complicating road clearances.
In Ischgl alone – one of the most popular resorts in Austria with British skiers – 13,000 people have been able to move down the road to other parts of the Paznaun valley, though most are skiers and boarders who had travelled specifically to the area for the snow and will still have been able to ski in the village to which they travelled.
"Although the roads have been closed, the resort itself has been operating as normal with skiers and boarders experiencing amazingly good conditions," said Paznaun-Ischgl Tourist Director Andreas Steibl.
Next door in Galtur, avalanche investigators using helicopters to study the slopes say there is a high risk of an avalanche.
And, in St Anton, tourism boss Martin Ebster confirmed all roads in and out of the resort are closed.
Avalanche warning service spokesman Rudi Mair said: "This is a type of snowfall the like of which we have not seen for years. Combined with that there are very high winds which are making conditions especially dangerous."
British ski instructor Sarah Hannibal, who works in Ischgl, said: "The skiing conditions are fantastic, although obviously no one is going off-piste at the moment because of the amount of snow. It has been very windy at the top of the mountain which means visibility can be affected by wind-blown snow – but the holidaymakers are having a wonderful time."
Mr Steibl added: "The forecast for the rest of the week is for sunnier conditions, so we don't think there will be problems with people getting in and out at the weekend."
Rainer Silberberger, mayor of Wildschonau, said: "We are working around the clock to clear roads and secure the snow falls. I've never seen weather like it."