Ski resorts across the Alps and Dolomites have been reporting snowfall down to as low as 1400m altitude in the past 24 hours.
It is hoped that the snowfall marks a turning point after the hottest spring and summer on record in the Alps, which has led to summer ski areas temporarily closing and some ski resorts that open in September delaying doing so.
However the sole area that has stayed open to all, Austria's Hintertux (pictured below this morning), has now been joined by Italy's Val Senales and a number of other ski areas including Solden and Zermatt (pictured top) have announced that they plan to open for the season or re-open in the next week or so.
Although the snowfall is just a 'dusting' below about 2,000 metres and a few centimetres at higher elevations, it's being seen as a very welcome sign, particularly by resorts like Les 32 Alpes, Solden and Zermatt which are each due to stage various 'season opening' World Cup races in just over a month's time.
