At least 11 people are killed and ski resorts evacuated amid avalanche fears as huge snowstorm hits across Europe

At least 11 have been killed in stormy winter weather across Europe this week, whole towns in the Alpine regions have been evacuated amid warnings of another four feet of fresh snow expected by Thursday.

Avalanche risks were at their highest level across much of southern Germany and Austria, where several days of heavy snowfalls have caused seven deaths.  

A 28-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman who went missing while snowshoeing were found dead near Salzburg in central Austria, while about 40 rescuers with dogs were still searching for two others who went missing while snowshoeing near Hohenberg in Lower Austria, the Austrian news agency APA reported.

In Norway, a Swedish woman and three Finnish nationals are presumed dead following avalanche near the northern town of  Tromsoe last Wednesday.

In Germany, 44-year-old man died in Wackersberg in Bavaria when he was hit by tree branches brought down by heavy snow, police said.

Authorities also said Monday that a woman who was buried by an avalanche last week in Uri, Switzerland, died of her injuries Saturday.

Also on the weekend, three skiers in Austria were killed by avalanches and one woman in Bavaria died in a weather-related incident.