The Italian Dolomites are seeing huge snowfalls as forecast, with some resorts reporting as much as a metre of snowfall in the past 24 hours.
The snow is transformative for the region's 2018-19 winter as many areas had not previously had a metre of snowfall in total all winter.
All ski areas had been fully open (or 90%+ open) thanks to snowmaking and the Alta Badia and Val Gardena resorts successfully staged their annual World Cup races in December.
The new snow has led Dolomiti superski to closer their famous Sella Ronda circuit that links the Fassa Valley, Arabba, Alta Badia and Val Gardena around the Sella Massio as lifts and runs were closed due to the excess of snow.
Some of today's reported biggest snowfalls included Cortina d'Ampezzo said it got a metre of snow, Val Gardena 94cm and Canazei 80cm. Other areas reported big, but not so big, snowfall, such as 35cm at Alta Badia (which is right next to Val Gardena) and 20cm at Arabba which lies between Alta Badia and Cortina.
Further West Madesimo reported 80cm of snow in 24 hours, Bormio a metre.