Report Updated: Thursday, December 19, 2024 8:45 AM

It’s another nice bluebird weekend to hit the slopes! All the mountains have been making snow every night with most of the snow guns running to prep more terrain for opening. Expect early season conditions including thin spots. Here are some highlights: Sanida Peak starts daily operations on Saturday… Santa Fe is making snow all over the mountain… Pajarito starts daily operations on Friday… Sipapu has opened more terrain… Red River has a opened the new Copper chair… Purgatory has opened a bunch more runs front and backside… Wolf Creek is 100% open.

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Sandia Peak:

New: 0

Storm: 0

Base: 6

Season: 36

Runs: 31/35

Lifts: 2/4

Notes: Open daily as of this Saturday, Dec. 21. They have been making snow this week and about 80% of the mountain with half of the trails groomed and Lift 3 to the will be open along with the beginner chair. Expect early season conditions on runs in spots. Rentals, private lessons, retail, and food at the Café are available.

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Santa Fe:

New: 0

Storm: 0

This Week: 0

Base: 22

Season: 37

Runs: 59/90 (upper and lower mountain)

Lifts: 6/7

Notes: Terrain accessed by the Millennium Lift will be limited while snowmaking efforts take place on Sunset Trail. If you ride the Millennium Lift must ski Highline to Wizard. Terrain to the north of Wizard will be closed, including Big Rocks Glade, Columbine, Sunrise and Sunset Glades, Richard's Run and Raven. Gayway will be the only Intermediate route down from the Tesuque Peak Triple. Expect early-season conditions, including thin cover and unmarked obstacles across much of the advanced and expert terrain. The new Santa Fe Express High-Speed Quad is open (replaced the old quad chair).

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Taos Ski Valley:

New: 0

Storm: 0

Base: 16

Season: 33

Runs: 21/120 (includes 6 blues and one black)

Lifts: 10/13

Notes: Terrain and the upper and lower front side is open along with backside with 3 green tails and lifts 7 and 7A. Lift 4 on the backside opens this Saturday and all lifts except for Kachina Peak will be open by Dec. 26.

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Pajarito:

New: 0

Storm: 0

Base: 14

Season: 44

Runs: 33/55 (9 runs groomed)

Lifts: 3/6 (Aspen, Beginner, Magic Carpet)

Surface: Hard packed, groomed

Notes: Open this weekend. They are grooming parts of the mountain on green and blue trails. Watch for early season conditions.

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Angel Fire:

New: 0

Storm: 0

Base: 23

Season: 48

Runs: 20/86

Lifts: 6/7

Notes: Now open for the season. Opening with the most terrain available than they have had available in years. 19 runs available. There are a bunch of green runs and 6 blues open.

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Sipapu:

New: 0

Storm: 0

Base: 16

Season: 36

Runs: 11/44 (all open tails are groomed)

Lifts 4/6 (including Lift 1 to the top)

Notes: Top to bottom skiing on Sassafras off of Lift 1. They have been making lots of snow. Four more runs just opened; expect more terrain to open soon.

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Red River:

New: 0

Storm: 0

Base: 15

Season: 28

Runs: 15/64

Lifts: 5/7 (New Copper Chair is now open).

Notes: Now open daily for the season.

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Ski Apache:

New: 0

Storm: 0

Base: NR

Season: NR

Runs: 7/

Lifts NR/10

Notes: Open daily now through Jan. 6. Right now, it’s terrain under Chair 3 on the lower mountain and limited upper mountain terrain under chair 5.

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Purgatory:

New: 0

Storm: 0

Base: 24

Season: 43

Runs: 60/107 (front side and limited terrain on the backside under Chair 3)

Lifts: 8/11 (Chairs 1, 2, 4, 7 on the front and Chairs 3 and 5 on the backside now open)

Notes: Headwaters terrain park is also open. Daily snowmaking continues. Lift 4, the Twilight Double is now open.

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Wolf Creek:

New: 0

Storm: 0

This Week: 3

Base: 42

Season: 97

Runs: 144/144

Lifts 10/11

Notes: The Water Fall area and Alberta Peak are open along with Knife Ridge and Horshoe Bowl. Lift tickets are at regular rates. $91 for Adults, $60 for Seniors, and $45 for Children. If you have the Super Saver Season Pass, they are blacked out from Saturday, December, 21st to Saturday, January, 4th.

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Arizona Snowbowl (Flagstaff):

New: 0

Storm: 0

Base: 13

Season: 28

Runs: 18/61

Lifts: 6/8

Notes: Open with the Arizona Gondola and Grand Canyon Express going up to the top. Hart Prairie Chairlift is now open with beginner terrain. And the Sunset Chairlift and 4 trails off of ridge side now open.

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Cross Country Areas:

Here are the links to some other resorts of interest in New Mexico, Southern Colorado and Arizona. Click on the resort name to get all the details.

Enchanted Forest XC

Chama Cross Country

Valles Caldera National Preserve

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Report Legend:

Snowfall amounts are listed in inches. Surface conditions are noted as follows: P=Powder, PP=Packed Powder, TP=Tracked Powder, MG=Machine Groomed Snow, HP=Hard Packed, SP=Spring Conditions, VC=Variable Conditions, NR=No Report From Ski Area, N/A=Not Applicable, T=Trace.

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More Information:

Here are some links that you may find helpful:

Ski New Mexico

Colorado Ski Country

Ski Utah

New Mexico National Weather Service

Colorado National Weather Service

Colorado Mtn Weather & Avalanche Report

Detailed Ski Area Forecast From SnowForecast

Warren Miller Films & Info

National Forest Service (has fall color info and more)

Colorado Ski History Web Site (includes info on closed NM/CO areas)

New Mexico Road Conditions

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Road Condition Phone Numbers:

New Mexico 800-432-4269, Colorado 303-639-1111, Utah 866-511-8824, Arizona 888-411-7623.