Early snowfall allowed for a fast start to the ski resorts that opened Thanksgiving weekend throughout the state. Ski Santa Fe and other resorts reported favorable conditions despite the La Nina weather from the last three winters.

“My favorite moment of the year, always, is 9 a.m. on opening day. We’re all very excited,” Ben Abruzzo, the general manager of Ski Santa Fe told KOB. “This has been a great start for us, with the weather. Everyone is pretty excited to have a solid start to winter and to kind of have the past couple of years behind us.”

Four new snowmaking machines give the resort access to 42 machines this year. The active monsoon season has added to the snowfall totals, and skiers are free from mandates enforced during the pandemic like wearing masks and maintaining social distancing.

“This has been our best snowmaking effort in the history of Ski Santa Fe in November,” Abruzzo said. “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 20 years.”

The ability to make snow at a much faster rate means Ski Santa Fe could open the Upper Mountain early.

“I’m hopeful we’ll be skiing on the Upper Mountain before Christmas, we’ll see,” Abruzzo said.