Heavy snowfall is reported in the Pyrenees as colder, snowier conditions arrive in the southerly European mountain range that's home to more than 50 ski areas in Andorra, France and Spain.
Although most of Western Europe has been suffering from a prolonged period of warm temperatures and dry conditions for the past three weeks, thankfully now ending, the problems caused had been greater in the Pyrenees where there had been less snowfall in November/December last year for base-building and temperatures had been the warmest - with highs of +22C reported.
As a result it was mostly higher terrain open with big areas like Andorra's Grandvalira (Soldeu, Pas de la Casa etc) and Spain's Baqueira Beret managing to open 50-709% of their runs, but some lower areas not able to open at all.
One of the big resorts, Spain's Formigal, has had less than a third of its runs open recently but posted these images this morning. It's due to receive half-a-metre of snowfall through the weekend.
It remains to be seen if, with extreme irony, the snowfall interrupts World Cup racing planned for Soldeu in Andorra this weekend where the worry for months had been too little snow cover.
Skiers in the Pyrenees in recent weeks have generally reported that although conditions aren't brilliant and there's no real off piste skiing possible, the hard packed snow on piste at the major destination resorts has been fine to ski on for most.
