Both of Andorra’s ski areas opened at the weekend with up to a metre of fresh snow on upper slopes, which some resorts are claiming is the best snow conditions they’ve seen in 40 years.
On the Spanish side of the border Baqueria Beret, one of the country’s three largest resorts, also opened. All three resorts and a dozen others in Spain, several of which – including Formigal and Sierra Nevada – had already opened a week ago, are opening at least a week ahead of schedule.
On the French side of the Pyrenees, home to another few dozen ski areas, resorts are sticking more closely to their planned opening dates despite huge falls there, with St Lary at one point reporting the biggest snowfall in Europe.

However a second major French ski area has opened, joining Tignes which has already clocked up two months of its 2008-9 season having opened in September. Val Thorens, Europe’s highest ski resort, opened on Saturday with an extensive ski test.

At the moment, we have 40 cm of snow in the resort and 70 cm on the summits and it is still snowing,”

said a tourist office spokesperson.