Here's a picture to gladden the hearts of anyone planning to ski the French Alps early this season - showing snow at resort level in Val d'Isère this morning.

It comes courtesy of John Yates-Smith of UK tour operators, YSE, which specialises in holidays to the resort.

"It's going to be an amazing season," he says, boldly. "We haven't had a foot of snow in the village on 14 November since 1996, and it hasn't stopped yet. We're forecast -20º and snow showers for tomorrow, then another heavy fall on Sunday or Monday. The snow cannons are running non-stop, and by the time the lifts open on 1 December we should have the best base for decades."

Clearly, he needs to blow Val's trumpet pretty hard, in the light of the awesome conditions at the other end of the Alps right now (check out this webcam in Lech if you don't believe us): but all the same, it's great to see heavy snow in France, which up to now has missed out on the white stuff that's been blanketing Austria. It's not just Val that's benefitted, either, the picture, left, shows Méribel earlier today.

What's more, the ground is, according to the Service des Pistes in Val, frozen hard - which means that the snow won't easily melt.

Val d'Isère is scheduled to open on December 1, Méribel on December 8.

For more information about current conditions, check out our Snow Overview which is updated five times a week.

Report filed 14/11/07.