LAST NOVEMBER, winter seemed to come roaring in, with so much snow dumped in a single week that several ski resorts sprang into action and opened early, including Pajarito, Sandia, Sipapu, and Ski Santa Fe. 

Skiers and snowboarders, myself included, headed out with excitement and enthusiasm, snagging early season powder turns full of hope for a glorious winter. As it turned out, that was almost it for the season’s snowfall: one big storm that everyone skied on until spring, dodging rocks and twigs when venturing into steeper terrain, and thanking snowmaking equipment everywhere else.

But by the season’s end, I still tallied more than 70 days on my skis. Fresh snow or no, I kept going out, threading turns together on patches between pine treetops. I still dove into bump runs at Pajarito, caught sunsets that tinted the snow tangerine, and even skied a few laps off Taos Ski Valley’s Kachina Peak. 

Bring the whole gang to Angel Fire Resort, which receives an average of 210 inches of snow annually. Photograph courtesy of Angel Fire Resort.

On the scattered days when a storm dropped just enough snow at Ski Santa Fe for brief and semisafe passage through the trees, I was there, skiing glades that felt like getting to say hello to old friends. Meanwhile, I kept running into plenty of the people I only see from November to April, equally dedicated to enjoying the outdoors even when winter felt like spring. And yes, I skied until the snow wore so thin that wildflower stems poked through it.

“We’re always optimistic for a great ski season,” says Christy Germscheid, executive director of Ski New Mexico, the nonprofit member organization for New Mexico’s ski areas. “But I feel like last year, we survived really well. If you were a blue or green skier, if you like groomers and blue sky, it was all day long, everywhere, every day, and you had a fabulous time.”

The 20-year trend line shows snowpack in the southern Rocky Mountains declining, but New Mexico’s skiers and snowboarders remain persistently optimistic. While snow levels were down about 65 percent, skier visits only declined by 22 percent, according to Ski New Mexico. “Our skiers come no matter what,” adds Michael Hawkins, marketing manager for Angel Fire Resort.

Skiers going downhill at Pajarito Mountain Ski Area. Photograph courtesy of Pajarito Mountain Ski Area/Scott DW Smith.

That’s in part because New Mexico’s winter charms shine through, even with unpredictable snowfall. Frosting on the trees makes for glittering winter hiking and snowshoeing. Thrills can be found tubing or sledding. Ice skaters spin through outdoor rinks. After the sun-soaked, brilliant blue skies fade to dusk, winter nights give plenty of reason to cozy up to a fire and sip something warm. Resorts are also spicing up their calendars, including live music every weekend at Ski Santa Fe, shovel races at Angel Fire (January 31–February 1), and a cardboard derby and snow castle at Sipapu’s Fun Fest in February. 

Ski resorts are also investing in new lifts and upgrades or repairs for old ones. Newer, more efficient snowmaking machines maximize snow coverage, even in slightly warmer temps, while using less water, and snowmaking is and will continue to be a lifeline.

“Ski resorts across New Mexico have a New Mexico flavor that you’re not going to find anywhere else,” says Christiana Hudson, marketing director for Sipapu Ski Resort and Pajarito Mountain. “And green chile on the slopes is pretty important.”

What’s coming this winter is anyone’s guess. Julien Ross, New Mexico’s forecaster for the skier-focused weather app OpenSnow, says a weak La Niña seems to be setting up for the winter, which sends mixed signals for New Mexico. Similar conditions led into the 2016–17 winter, one of the best snowfall years on record for the state, and the 2017–18 winter, one of the worst.

“So we are kind of looking at a coin toss probability for above or below average snowfall this coming season,” Ross says.

While I’m wishing for luck, I’m with Germscheid, who confidently declares, “It’s going to be great, and it’s going to be fun.”