The Sandia Peak Ski Area will be closed for the second year in a row, according to KOB 4.
The ski resort is located in the Sandia Mountains in northeast Bernalillo County.
Officials recently announced that a lack of snow over the past five years led to the decision. This is the first time in at least 25 years that the ski area will not consider opening for the winter.
"It's not been snowing in November or really in December, and then it's ended earlier, so middle of February, early March, and just the total snowfall has been down," Ben Abruzzo, general manager of Sandia Peak Ski Area, told KOB 4.
The lack of snow continued what occurred in 2021 when the snow came too late.
"On the last week of January, it snowed a little more and we started to get things ready to go and, just, it wasn't going to happen," Abruzzo said. "Trying to operate a ski area for three weeks is a pretty tough call."
Short seasons are not always a viable option, KOB 4 reported. They make it difficult for management to keep the ski area operational.
"All that leads into – when you have those short seasons – obviously, it's greatly reduced revenue, so then it becomes difficult to maintain your equipment, do new things, pay your staff," Abruzzo said. "Asking someone to leave their job and come work for us for three to four weeks is a tough ask."
At this rate, the future of the ski resort is uncertain due to the lack of snow and staff shortages, according to KOB 4. Resort officials are exploring options, but have come up with nothing promising so far.
"We have been working on a mountain coaster that we thought would provide some economic stability for us," Abruzzo said. "The approval process became extremely cumbersome – very lengthy and costly – and is on hold for now, and will likely remain so."