The 2013 ski season ends in Africa and North America after this weekend, as the run up to the northern hemisphere's 2013-14 winter gets underway.
In Africa the southern hemisphere ski areas of Afriski in Lesotho and Tiffindell in South Africa will both run their lifts for the last time this weekend before calling it a day for 2013.
In North America, the only ski area open at present is Timberline on Mt Hood in Oregon, which is open until Sunday, then closes until October 10th, by which time the annual snowmaking battle is likely to be underway on the highest slopes of the Continental Divide in Colorado to be the first in North America to open for 2-0130-14.
Snow has already been reported in the Rockies and there was heavy snow on the few open glaciers in the Alps earlier this week, just as 25cm of snow fell in 24 hours on slopes around Queenstown in New Zealand (pictured above).
In South America, Australia and New Zealand the season continues through September and in some cases to at least mid-October with Turoa in New Zealand usually the last in the southern hemisphere to close in early November. With a 2.5m base there so far it's looking good for Autumn 2013.