There's excitement in the Alps this morning with snow falling to valley floors – in most cases for the first time this autumn.
Snowfall has been reported in Austria, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland and resorts in the Pyrenees and the Dolomites are also reporting snow currently falling.
Forecasts point to 30-60cm accumulations through the weekend on higher slopes.
The snowfall is very welcome after promising early accumulations up high in September gave way to a mostly dry and warmer-than-average October in the Alps.
As a result only about a dozen glacier ski areas have managed to open so far, about half the total open in November in a 'good year' for early autumn snowfall.
Most notably there's still nowhere open in France, believed to be the first time in more than 50 years that there's been no glacier skiing in the country in October.
With the first non-glacier resorts planning to open for their 22-23 season in a fortnight's time the snowfall is therefore very welcome.
Lech pictured top, Val d'Isere below, morning of Friday, 4 November, 2022
