After a bleak start to the winter, when virtually all ski resorts in Slovenia struggled with lack of snow, the next two weeks of school holidays are promising to bring the feel of winter wonderland at last.

Until mid-January, the only ski destination that had not reported a lack of snow was Kanin, the country's only high-altitude ski resort. Many others operated only a fraction of their pistes, while a significant number shut down completely because temperatures were too high to make artificial snow.

But just in time for the school holidays, all ski resorts are up and running, after temperatures dropped and snow started falling in mid-January. There is more than a metre of snow at Pohorje, Cerkno, Kanin and Vogel, while the rest also have enough to operate without problems.

Not only is there enough snow, ski resort operators are also very happy about the weather forecast, which is for sunny weather with cold temperatures and virtually no wind.

Next week, primary and secondary school students in eastern Slovenia will be on holiday, while the western half of the country is up the week after that.

This year, the holidays are being held much earlier because Kranjska Gora, one of the country's biggest winter season destinations, is hosting the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in late February and early March.

Mojca Mežek of Tourism Kranjska Gora told the STA that about 90-95% of the destination's accommodation capacities will be filled during the holidays. Apart from ski slopes, there is an abundance of cross-country trails in and around Kranjska Gora.

Holidaymakers will also be able to ice skate, go for sled rides and snow shoeing, while the nearby Mountaineering Museum in Mojstrana will host workshops for kids.

Krvavec, the ski resort nearest to Ljubljana, also expects many visitors for the holiday. In the past days, it was plagued by thick fog and cold winds, but the forecast is much better going forward.

Operators at Vogel, the resort in the Triglav National Park, are hopeful that "all those who have not yet had the chance to ski due to poor weather will strap on their skis in the coming days," said Aleksandra Fiorelli of Žičnice Vogel.

Kanin virtually never faces lack of snow, so the ski lift operators there only hope for good weather. Meanwhile, Cerkno, a very popular family destination, has seen the capacities of its hotel fill up to 100% already.

Rogla, in north-eastern Slovenia, boasts not only a multitude of ski slopes and kilometres of cross-country skiing trails but also an adrenaline sledging track and a snow park for children. Holidaymakers can go snow-shoeing through thick forests or relax in the nearby Zreče spa.

The ski slopes above Maribor, which have been plagued by the lack of snow for years, are white at the moment, and so is the nearby Areh Pohorje, which also features kilometres of cross-country skiing tracks.