The 2024 ski season has got underway in the southern hemisphere three weeks earlier than expected, following big autumn snowfalls in South america.
Catedral ski area near Bariloche in Argentina (pictured above this weekend) has had over 2 metres of snowfall on higher slopes and have opened early for the season after weeks of cold weather and heavy snowfall. Initially there's just limited terrain open.
At least two more centres, Nevados de Chillan and Corralco in Chile, say they'll be opening early too, but from next weekend.
Ski areas in Australia and New Zealand, which are due to begin opening about a week into June, have also had pre-season snowfalls, but not yet so much.
Until Catedral opened early Lesotho's Afriski was expected to be the first south of the equator to open for 2024, on June 1st.
About 30 ski areas are still going with their 23-24 in the Northern Hemisphere in Europe and North America.