Storm a good sign for skiers?
Official: Early snow makes big difference for skiing; Ski Santa Fe tentatively set to open Nov. 22
Early snow hits ski basin; Ski Santa Fe tentatively set to open Nov. 22.
Snow for Northern New Mexico ski resorts was in short supply last winter, so 14 inches overnight Tuesday and into Wednesday at Ski Santa Fe could be a harbinger of a better season on the way.
It was still snowing at the ski basin as of midday Wednesday and was expected to continue until about 7 p.m., said the resort’s marketing director, Stephen Trask.
Ski Santa Fe is tentatively set to open Nov. 22, Thanksgiving Day, and has a projected closing date of April 7.
Trask would not provide specifics on season pass sales thus far, other than to say they were “good.”
“Whenever we get early snow, it makes a big difference,” he said. “It’s similar to three years ago when we got that great start.”
The resort also is augmenting natural snow with man-made, and the cold temperatures have made that possible, Trask said. Crews have added more pipes and electrical connections, making it easier to move snow guns around the slopes.
Taos Ski Valley also is planning for a traditional Thanksgiving Day opening. Taos received 12 inches at its base and more higher up the mountain, a resort spokeswoman said Wednesday.
Snowfall reports for Northern New Mexico ranged from 1 inch in Clayton in the northeast corner of the state to about a foot in the higher elevations of the northern mountains, said Alyssa Clements, a meteorologist with the National
Weather Service in Albuquerque.
“I would say it’s an early season storm,” Clements said.
The remainder of the week is expected to be drier and cooler, with temperatures predicted in the upper 50s this weekend in Santa Fe and the low 60s for Albuquerque.
Ski Santa Fe will have a hiring fair Nov. 9-10 in La Casa Lodge and is seeking ski and snowboard instructors, ticket scanners, cashiers, baristas, day care workers, emergency medical technicians, parking lot attendants, snow removal workers and more.