At Kanin, where the slopes were expected to open in mid-December, two ski runs have opened yesterday, as the highest-lying ski resort in Slovenia (2,293 m) got a 90-centimetre snow cover earlier this week, said the operator, Sončni Kanin.

Meanwhile, at Vogel, the ski resort above Lake Bohinj, three slopes have opened as 50 centimetres of snow covered the resort, which had also planned to launch the lifts in mid December.

Until the official launch of the season, both resorts will play it by the ear, depending on the weather. Žičnice Vogel Bohinj, the operator of Vogel, however, expects to even expand its offer by then.

The weather will also play a role in when the Slovenian resorts open for skiers. Should they get some snow or the temperatures allow them to run the snow guns, they plan to inaugurate the season in late November or December. Throughout the season, resorts promise to offer skiing as well as entertainment.

Golte, a resort on a plateau in northern Slovenia, has also already been covered by snow, but there has not been enough of it to get the slopes ready for skiers. The operator expects to get them ready in the first half of December.

RTC Krvavec, the operator of Slovenia's second largest ski resort, is also looking forward to the new season, having invested EUR 850,000 in its facilities. While covered by a thin layer of snow, Krvavec resort plans to launch its snow guns next week to get ready for the launch of the season on 25 November.

The Maribor Pohorje, the largest ski resort in the country, featuring 42 kilometres of ski runs, invested one million euros in its lifts and slopes this year. The home of the annual Golden Fox women's ski World Cup meet will start operating in mid December should the weather permit it.

This year, the resort will also join Krvavec and Kranjska Gora in the north-west as a Slovenian Ski Association official training centre for competitors for the first time.

The nearby Rogla resort as well as Kranjska Gora have announced plans to open in late November or early December, with the latter hoping for good weather to launch some lifts even before the official opening.

The resorts Kope (north-east) and Cerkno (west) plan to open for skiers on 9 and 10 December, respectively.