It's that exciting time of year again! As the days get shorter and the weather colder we wait for the powder, wondering will it, won't it...

As all snow lovers would hope, the snowline is now descending from the glaciers into the valleys – and the Scottish mountains have had their first proper snowfalls of winter too.

It's early days, but big storms putting down significant snow over much of the Dolomites, Alps and Pyrenees are what we all need!

Dolomites It’s still early days but The Dolomites look to be getting off to one of their best starts to the season in some years! Alps More ski areas have been opening earlier than expected in the Alps over the past weeks. Verbier has opened in Switzerland as well as Schladming in Austria - the first to do so without a glacier or using snow stockpiled from last season, but thanks to snowmaking and the big natural snowfalls in the past weeks.

Pyrenees There have been some big snowfalls reported across the Pyrenees on the French and Spanish sides as well as in Andorra. Cauterets in the French Pyrenees isn’t open yet but has reported the most so far. Another area in the French Pyrenees, Porte Puymorens, is now open, only the second ski area in France to do so, after Tignes.

There are now around 25 ski areas open in the Alps, Dolomites and Pyrenees, including 10 in Austria, 8 in Switzerland and 5 in Italy.