The lowest, level-one alert was issued by the Tatra Volunteer Search and Rescue service (TOPR) for altitudes above 1,800 meters. The TOPR said the warning was a response to snowfall and high winds causing drifts in gullies and under cliff faces.

The alert came as Poland’s meteorological office warned of heavy snowfall, which it said might reach 20 cm in some places. Forecasters said nighttime temperatures in the Tatras could plummet to as low as minus 15°C over the weekend.

The icy conditions are the result of a polar front that has settled over Central Europe, bringing snow in countries from Denmark to Austria.

In the Czech Republic, weathermen said 12 cm of snow could fall in some parts of the country on Thursday and Friday.

The Severe Weather Europe website reported that the rest of November will be characterized by “multiple intense winter storms” spreading rapidly across the continent, bringing heavy rain and snow as well as blizzards.