But it'll turn wintry again next week.

What a day to hold a World Cup ski race...

Just as the mainstream ski season gets underway, more than a half a metre of the white stuff is forecast for the northern Alps.

The south-western Alps are likely to do well from a busy spell of weather. Cervinia and Zermatt should see a heavy fall.

In the Alps, the first storm of a snowy week has just delivered 40cm of the white stuff. More will fall tomorrow and Thursday.

Two separate weather fronts are due to drop heavy snow across the Alps this week.

In the Tirol, the Hintertux glacier is reporting 40cm of the white stuff over the last two days.

Over half a metre of the white stuff could fall before this winter preview is done.

The snowy start to March continues. But blazing sunshine is not far away.

Up to half a metre of the white stuff is expected in the French Alps and Italian Dolomites before skies clear.