Unfortunately The Dolomites largely missed out on the snowfalls of late November which provided a pre-season boost to ski areas in the Alps and Pyrenees – albeit since followed by warm weather in December until the last few days when it has got colder again.
That hasn't stopped the huge Dolomiti Superski network of 1200km of runs and nearly 500 ski lifts leap in to operation with several of its 12 individual valley areas opening the last weekend of November and the rest last weekend. Around 450km of runs will be open this weekend.
Also this weekend the lift operators have announced that the iconic Sella Ronda network, the hub of the entire ski pass system with around 40km of pistes and lifts (26km of it ski runs) circling the vast Sella Massif, will be open in both directions.
"At the moment, the temperatures are low and the snow making systems can keep on producing snow. This will allow us to open further slopes and lifts in the following days," said Diego Clara of Dolomiti Superski (who sent the library picture above).