With an amber winter weather warning in place, snowfall and largely subzero temperatures forecast for the first 10 days of January, with up to 50cm over the weekend, its one of the most promising starts to a New Year in the Scottish Highlands for many years.
However Scotland's ski areas are advising skiers and riders not to get too excited yet, as a lot of snow is needed before they can open much terrain beyond the relatively small areas they've managed so far using their all-weather snowmaking machines.
"Upper mountain starting to fill in but much more snow needed before we can open for skiing or snowboarding," a statement from Glencoe reads.
It currently offers a dry slope (probably snow covered now) for skiers, machine made snow for sledgers and its access chair for tourers to use to get up to altitude snow areas off piste quickly.
Currently Glenshee and The Lecht are closed with police closing roads around them due to snowfall and the current storm warning. Both had limited runs open with their all-weather snowmaking guns, with The Lecht noting, like Glencoe, that whilst bases are starting to fill in, a lot of snowfall is needed to build adequate bases.
Cairngorm, pictured above and below yesterday, has announced its access road has just been reopened but told any arrivals today (which is also still a bank holiday in Scotland) to expect delays.
