It’s been a snowy week in the southern hemisphere…

10-15cm of snow ‘up top’ on the South Island, New Zealand…

…with heavier snow to come next week.

63cm of snow in the last seven days at Perisher in the Snowy Mountains of Oz…

…although it’s been warm and sunny at times too.

Whenever the sun comes out, conditions are spring-like,  so to be sure of getting firm snow, the Australian national squad has been getting up at 5am. Still, at least they get the whole mountain to themselves, as you can see from the video, above.

But the best snow right now is in the Andes. Yesterday, Portillo’s snow report boasted 56cm in 48hrs…

…Valle Nevado’s snow report reckons there’s been 60cm…

…Termas de Chillan, in the south, claims one metre…

…and as for Las Lenas in Argentina…

…which is why everyone’s a little excited right now.

Meanwhile, in the Alps…

But even the skiers are finding the biking irresistible.

The Alps are getting a mixed bag of weather at the moment – days of wondrous blue skies, followed by heavy rain. Today, for example, it’s chucking it down in the Austrian Alps: but the weekend should be drier.

	France: the Pisaillas glacier above Val d’Isere has now closed for skiing, but there are still turns to be had above Tignes and Les Deux Alpes. Summer is really starting to get hold of the snow now, thinning the cover, but according to Les Deux Alpes’ snow report, the white stuff on its glacier is still 165cm deep – conditions are pretty good given it’s now early August.
	Switzerland: You can still ski on the glacier above Zermatt, and links over to Cervinia are open too. At last, Saas Fee’s glacier is now open for summer skiing, too.
	Austria: you can currently ski on the Hintertux and the Molltal glaciers. The Kitzsteinhorn glacier closed to skiers on July 21 and expects to reopen in mid to late September. Today’s rain hasn’t been good for the glaciers in Austria – but the Hintertux still claims 245cm of snow in places at the top.
	Italy: access to high-altitude skiing above Cervinia is now possible – mostly on the Swiss side of the border above Zermatt.
	Andorra: Andorra’s ski resorts are now closed for the summer.
	Western USA: all the mainstream ski resorts are now closed, but you can still make turns at Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood in Oregon.
	Western Canada:  The glacier above Whistler has now closed for summer skiing.