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Spain's Baqueira Beret has added three new runs which it says takes its toral amount of terrain to 170km, when you include its three off-piste routes.

The new season also sees Spain's largest ski area investing in improved digitalization, more snow making, the new La Choza cafeteria and a remodelled Montarto Hotel.

The highlight of the three new runs, a resort spokesperson says, is the new Mirador de Baqueira red run which descends directly to Argulls.

The spend on upgraded snowmaking guns is intended to increase overall system efficiency in the use of electricity and water, reducing the resort's carbon footprint.

"Digital processes have been streamlined for greater convenience for skiers and snowboarders. The Montarto Hotel has been completely renovated offering highly modern accommodation at the foot of the slopes and on the slopes the La Choza cafeteria is destined to be a new successful restaurant point," the spokesperson added.

Although Baqueira Beret is the largest ski area in Spain, Andorra's Grandvalira is the largest in the Pyrenees with a claimed 210km of interconnected slopes and more non-linked terrain included in the lift pass.

Wild Spur Express, a new 6-passenger, high-speed detachable Leitner-Poma lift that can move 2,800 people up the mountain per hour, will give guests a new way to experience Vasquez Ridge terrain when it opens above Winter Park in Colorado (pictured above after weekend snowfall) late next month or early December.

The lift will include a new mid-point loading zone, allowing guests to make quicker laps on upper intermediate and advanced trails.

The Wild Spur Express is also the only lift that serves nearly 285 acres of mostly blue intermediate trails and steeper, more advanced bump runs from its top station.

Winter Park Resort is also investing to try to combat a big issue for ski resort operators – finding staff. Part of the problem was wages, but most have given big rises in recent years, another though is that even with higher income there's still limited affordable accommodation available.

Therefore the Colorado resort has spent $60 million on a brand-new, 330+ bed employee housing complex named Conifer Commons that will open this autumn ahead of the coming season.

The project is one of the largest workforce housing projects to be completed in Colorado this year with the complex located so close to the resort that residents will be able to walk to work and other amenities, including public transportation.

A long planned indoor snow centre in Wales, which would be more than twice as long as any of the five existing centres in England, has won praise from local politicians in the region where its due to be built.

The £300m Rhydycar West project near Merthyr Tydfil is currently having its planning application considered, with local council leader Cllr Geraint Thomas stating,

"The …project is a beacon of hope and opportunity for Merthyr Tydfil. I am fully aware of its vast economic and social benefits and its potential to bring transformative opportunities to Merthyr Tydfil."

The facility will includes a 400 metre long indoor snow slope which would be used for training and competitions by both Welsh and British snow sports squads.

Cllr Thomas was commenting particularly on the project's potential to create work in construction and when operating, as well as its potential revenue contribution to the local economy.

"…there is a severe shortage of accommodation, and the addition of the resort would enable the borough and surrounding area to become a real hub for leisure and tourism for the South Wales valleys region and in particular the northern valleys," Cllr Geraint Thomas added, continuing, "While I am personally excited about the prospects of Rhydycar West, it's essential that we await the comprehensive report from our planning department. The scale of this project means a thorough review is paramount."

The planning application for the centre was reportedly submitted back in March.

Besides the ski slope the complex would also feature an indoor tropical water park with a standing wave and surf simulators and an indoor and outdoor adventure centre, including zip wires, extreme rides and other attractions. There would also be hotels, spa, luxury woodland lodges and a conference and events centre.

Snow has begun falling above about 2,000m in the Alps.

Several ski areas in Austria, including Schladming and Obertauern pictured above, have posted images and reported light snowfall on their higher slopes.

Light snowfall is expected across the Alps over the coming days with the potential for heavier falls later in the week if longer term forecasts prove correct.

Temperatures above about 2,000m have dropped below freezing day and night in the past 36 hours and are now expected to stay low, with single digit temperatures in valleys.

Snowfall has also been reported on the upper slopes of Europe's most southerly ski area of Sierra Nevada in Spain, with heavier falls to lower levels in northern Europe including Scotland and Scandinavia.

Although the Alps are waiting on a good snowfall right now (falling temperatures in the past few days have increased the chance of that), ski slopes in northern Europe have been turning white with snowfall reported in Finland, Norway, Scotland and Sweden.

Iceland's snowfall has been some of the most significant though, with images appearing to show 1-2 feet of snowfall although there was no official measure.

As a result, managers at the country's largest centre, Bláfjöll, announced that although they weren't officially opening and turning the lifts on, they were going to push back snow collected against snow fences and groom a run, for those prepared to ascend by ski touring or split boarding.

Saturday, 14 October saw skiers and boarders making the first turns on Bláfjöll's slopes, one of its earliest ever autumn days of snow sports, with pictures and video showing good conditions posted on social media.

Unfortunately warmer, wetter weather is now arriving in the country so it looks like the possibility was this weekend only.

The long awaited fall in temperatures in the Alps appears to be starting to happen at last.

Temperatures are expected t be below freezing day and night above about 2,500m in the Alps and drop to single figures much of the time in Alpine Valleys too. Some light snowfalls are expected on high slopes and glaciers through the coming week.

The Stubai glacier, the fourth in Austria to open, and all in Tirol region, is due to open today, joining Hintertux, Pitztal (pictured top) and Kaunertal which have all been endeavouring to stage season opening events including gear tests and terrain park unveiling celebrations.

But with the warm weather, little natural snowfall so far and limited opportunities for snowmaking to date, opening decisions remain on a knife edge. A fifth Austrian Tirol area, Solden, is due to stage 23-24 FIS World Cup Alpine SKI season-opening the week after next has repeatedly set its opening date back, now looking at early this coming week.

Engelberg in Switzerland has done likewise, most recently announcing a delay in its opening date into November, stating, "Unfortunately, we still have to be patient. The warm autumn days and the lack of natural snow do not allow the preparation of the glaciers at the moment." It's currently aiming for the 4th.

Saas Fee and Zermatt remain open in Switzerland and Passo Stelvio and Cervinia in Italy, the latter announcing its "Never ending ski season" will start from today (14 October) with lifts running to Zermatt's glacier ski area year-round rather than having spring and autumn closures as in the past.

The French ski season is not expected to start until the last weekend of November after les 2 Alpes gave up on plans to offer glacier skiing for the fortnight from next weekend.

Plymouth dry ski slope has received a whole new main slope surface with the MK Enterprises team laying 1,300 Diamond mats from John Nike Leisure, the same company that operates the centre.

The centre's four small slopes to the left of the main run will continue to have a Perma-Snow surface

This is quite different to diamond matting as it does not have any holes in the mats, making it a very user friendly surface for novice skiers and snowboarders in particular.

Ski resorts across Western North America have been reporting fresh snowfall in the last 24 hours and more is forecast.

The biggest accumulations appear to be in Washington State and Oregon so far, where Mt Bachelor (pictured) reported 6" of snowfall yesterday and temperatures around freezing.

It's expected to warm up a little there and conditions turn wetter over the next few days but there's more excitement inland with the most optimistic forecasts suggesting high ski areas in Colorado will see snow through the rest of this week rather than rain, with u to two feet (60cm)possible.

Several had already started snowmaking with the aim of opening their seasons in October although temperatures over the last seven days had let some to cease until it got colder.

Long term forecasts for 23-24 in North America are focussed on a 'strong La Nina event' in the eastern Pacific which typically brings warmer and wetter conditions to the west coast and further inland to the north. The east coast and more southerly ski areas in the west tend to do better than average with states like Colorado and Utah likely to go either way.