Recent snowfall brings joy and fun to NM, Southwest ski areas

The recent snowfall across New Mexico could not have come at a better time for two of the state’s most popular skiing areas.

“We’re thrilled, conditions have been fantastic and snow always brings people out,” said Tommy Long, operations manager at Ski Santa Fe.

Ski Santa Fe has received 36 inches of snow in the past seven days, according to its website, skisantafe.com, which has allowed it to open 88 of its 89 of trails and get all seven of its ski lifts operational.

Long said the snow received on Sunday leading into Monday morning was much more than expected, and he called it a “nice surprise to wake up to.”

Farther north, Taos Ski Valley Chief Operating Officer John Kelly said the recent snowfall also has had positive effects.

“The conditions continue to get better and better,” Kelly said. “We currently have 11 out of 12 (ski) lifts open and we’re opening up new terrain every day, getting close to opening up the full mountain.”

Elsewhere in New Mexico, Angel Fire Resort received 7 inches of snowfall in a 48-hour period and has all seven ski lifts and 63 of 82 trails open. Sipapu has received 17 inches of snow in a 24-hour period and has all six ski lifts and trails open.

In Pagosa Springs, Colorado, Wolf Creek Ski Area has enjoyed 29 inches of snowfall through the past weekend and has all nine ski lifts — 100% of its terrain open.

Both Long and Kelly said the layers of newly fallen snow have drawn in more people eager to hit the trails and test their abilities.

“There’s no better feeling than making turns and the (snow) powder, being able to ski in deeper powder, is a special feeling,” Kelly said.

Taos Ski Valley is expected to get another round of snowfall on Thursday, according to Keller, adding to the already 17 inches of snow it has received in the past week.

That storm Thursday is expected to sweep through the Taos Ski Valley quickly, according to Albuquerque National Weather Service Meteorologist Scott Overpeck.

“It’s going to be a fast moving system so, yes, there’s going to be some snow that occurs probably early Thursday morning in the Taos area and some of the ski areas through Thursday morning and then clearing up during the evening hours,” Overpeck said.

The snowfall Albuquerque and other parts of the state have seen during the past two weeks is consistent with an El Niño winter season .

The El Niño climate pattern is caused by warmer than normal waters in the Pacific Ocean giving way to slightly wetter weather during winter months.

So far, the 2023-2024 El Niño season has been marked by inconsistencies in the weather pattern, Overpeck said.

“I don’t want people to have the impression that El Niño is going to mean we’re going to have one storm after another,” he said. “It’s going to be periods where there’s going to be more series of storms moving across and then we’re going to have some downtime.”

Gino Gutierrez is the good news reporter at the Albuquerque Journal. If you have an idea for a good news story, you can contact him at goodnews@abqjournal.com or at 505-823-3940.