Ski areas across the Iberian peninsular, including Europe's most southerly ski area, Sierra Nevada, have seen significant weekend snowfalls, raising anticipation levels for the winter ahead.
There was even fresh October snowfall for Portugal's lone ski area, Serra da Estrela.
The cold weather and fresh snowfall currently contrasts with the Alps, which is expecting a rather warm, dry and sunny week.
However, whilst 14 ski areas have already opened in Austria, Italy and Switzerland, there's currently nowhere in the Pyrenees or elsewhere in Spain expected to open for another four weeks, until the final week of November, when several centres including Spain's largest Baqueira Beret, do plan to open.
Ski areas in the Pyrenees have opened early some years when there have been heavy autumn snowfalls, in one case managing to do so in October, but it's too early to say if there's any sign of that being a liklihood this year.
