Ski Santa Fe sees fast start to the season
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Chairlifts were swinging on Thanksgiving as ski resorts across New Mexico opened for the season, with flakes falling in festive fashion.
Ski Santa Fe and other area resorts have seen a fast start this season, despite the La Niña weather pattern forecast for the last three winters and this season.
“My favorite moment of the year, always, is 9 a.m. on opening day. We’re all very excited,” said Ben Abruzzo, the general manager of Ski Santa Fe. “This has been a great start for us, with the weather.”
Snow has fallen early in the state, which allowed skiers and snowboarders the chance to carve their Turkey Day turns at Ski Santa Fe.
“Everyone is pretty excited to have a solid start to winter and to kind of have the past couple of years behind us,” Abruzzo said.
Chairlifts were swinging and festive flakes were falling to usher in the start of ski season for Ski Santa Fe and other New Mexico resorts.
Pandemic precautions, like masks and social distancing, are not in place at the resort this year.
They’ve also added four new snowmaking guns and are up to 42 total. Add in the active monsoon season and the resort has seen a big boost.
“This has been our best snowmaking effort in the history of Ski Santa Fe in November,” Abruzzo expressed. “The incredible monsoon that basically never ended, I mean it rained right up until it turned into winter, and our stream is running at probably the best rate I’ve ever seen in the last twenty years.”
This means Ski Santa Fe will be able to make snow much faster than last year – which could bode well for opening the Upper Mountain early.
“I’m hopeful we’ll be skiing on the Upper Mountain before Christmas, we’ll see,” Abruzzo said.