With snow still falling heavily in the Alps (and expected to continue to do so until at least the weekend), some of the world's leading ski areas have announced they'll be opening for the 2016-17 ski season over the next 48 hours.
Although about 20 resorts are already open for the season in Europe and North America, most have done so thanks to year-round glaciers, special plus-temperature snowmaking systems or even snow farming using snow saved from last winter.
The exception to this list is Banff's Sunshine ski area which opened last week with a base of more than two feet of natural snow.
Resorts lined up to open tomorrow, Friday or Saturday however include Mammoth in California, USA, Andermatt and Laax in Switzerland and Hemsedal in Norway.
It's not all good news though, Colorado has been battling 'unseasonably warm weather' for a month and Breckenridge which had aimed to open on Friday, has announced a delay, although it has not yet said until when. Another Colorado resort, Copper, which had also planned to open has delayed for a week, but Loveland, which has been hoping to open for the best part of a month, will open tomorrow, joining Arapahoe Basin which opened a fortnight ago and has weathered the warmth.
North of the border, Lake Louise has also announced they'll delay opening by a week.
Mammoth, pictured 36 hours ago above, will also open tomorrow. It has a 30cm base at resort level with deeper snow higher up. It expects Broadway Express, Face Lift Express and the gondola lifts will open providing access to Broadway, Saddle Bowl, Center Bowl, West Bowl, Dave's Run, Climax and Cornice Bowl.