After three weeks of largely dry conditions and temperatures much warmer than they should have been for late January and February, temperatures and dropping and snow is falling again.
The change, after the three-week warm spell which led to widespread media stories that there was no snow for skiers in the Alps despite most resorts remaining fully open, is bringing stormy weather this weekend to many areas, leading many to close slopes or in some cases (including Lans en Vercors) the whole resort until Sunday.
Swiss Centres have posted some of the biggest falls of the first 24 hours of the storm with many centres posting 15-25cm (6-10"), Zermatt reported 15cm, Laax 18cm.
In France, some of the biggest falls have been in the southern Alps so far with Chamonix reporting a foot (30cm) of snowfall on their higher slopes, the recently reconnected (by joint lift pass) White Forest region shared by Risoul (pictured above on Friday) and Vars, 20cm.
Temperatures are falling back below freezing at altitude but are taking longer to get down below zero in valleys with the consequence that some areas will see rain rather than snow on lower valley slopes initially.
Snowfall is expected to continue through the weekend and to Monday for many areas.