This MetOp-B AVHRR image, acquired 05 January 2013, shows the snow-covered Alps and Pyrenees and low clouds (stratus) over large parts of France, some mountain wave formations and high-level contrails.

The French Alps are a famed destination for skiing, with many sites located across the ranges.

Further south, the Pyrenees mountains form a natural border between France and Spain, and mark the start of the Iberian Peninsula.

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Credit: EUMETSAT 2013