This is a great picture taken of the Alps by British astronaut Tim Peake on the 27th of December from the International Space Station. I've added a few towns so you can orientate yourself.

The big melt continues. The freezing level is around 3000 meters this week.

Every General knows that it is dangerous to fight a battle on more than one front but for the second winter running that is exactly what Swiss ski resorts are faced with.

Meteo France says that winters like the current one happen "every ten years or so" then goes on to observe "only they are getting much more frequent".

Given the worries about the lack of snow I thought it might be a good idea to give a short video report on the snow conditions in the Belledonne (French Northern Alps) today.

The first snows of winter have finally arrived. Everyone is excited to be getting some turns.

Just a few days after a disastrous defeat against New Zealand in the Rugby world cup that has left the nation shell-shocked the French have the 600th anniversary of the battle of Azincourt to remember

There were 45 avalanche victims in France during the 12 months finishing on the 30th September 2015. Over the last 35 years only 4 other winters have seen such a high number of fatalities.

We've seen some pretty spectacular wingsuit flying on the Brevent over the last couple of years and there have been a fair number of deaths as other pilots try to emulate their heros.

Recent developments in ski touring gear seem to have been going in the wrong direction.