Two Austrian glacier ski resorts, The Stubai and The Pitztal, have announced they'll open for the 2017-18 ski season this weekend, following Solden last weekend. They'll be joined by Val Senales in Italy which opens this Friday.
The good news follows a second successive weekend of heavy snow on high slopes in the Alps, if not quite as extensive this weekend as the previous one. The snow was still falling in parts of the Alps this morning too, with Tignes posting the image above.
The two Austrian resorts opening takes the tally of Austrian options to five, with the Hintertux and Molltal glaciers also open, equalling the five open in the rest of the northern hemisphere's ski nations combined (Italy-2, Switzerland-2, Norway-1) and means the number of areas open north of the equator is back in to double digits after dipping in to single figures at the end of last month.
The fresh snow has been particularly welcome after the long hot summer in the Alps melted away most of the snow from Europe's glaciers. Three of the currently, or soon to, open ski areas (Pitztal, Zermatt and Solden) also have all weather snow making equipment.