(Cairngorm team working to prep the slopes on Tuesday)
The 2015-16 ski season looks like it might get partially underway at last this coming weekend with Cairngorm ski area above Aviemore hoping to open a few runs.
The Scottish hills have been bombarded by weather extremes over the past few months, seeing some decent snow accumulations wiped away by double digit temperature rides in 12 hour periods, along with torrential rain and gales.
Cairngorm and Nevis Range were able to open a run or two each for one day just after Christmas but that has been it so far.
The extreme weather in the north east of Scotland has particularly effected Glenshee and the Lecht where local communities have been battling floods, which have also washed away a large stretch of the main A road through royal Deeside linking the ski areas to their main customer base in Aberdeen.
"With the current forecast and conditions we are hoping to open for snowsports within the next few days," said a Cairngorm spokesperson, "At present it's looking very good for the M1 Poma, Ptarmigan T-Bar and Polar Express."
It is stormy today and the centre plans to re-evaluate on this (Thursday) afternoon for this weekend's prospects.
Nevis Range is offering lessons on its dry slope but like the other three Highland centres says there's currently not quite enough snow top open. The Lecht reports runs are 'filling in' with snow.
Cold weather and heavy snow is now increasingly being forecast for the coming week and there does seem to be some optimism that more centres will open in the coming week.