An unusually early snow storm helped Sandia Peak Ski Area, New Mexico to open earlier than ever. After it was hit with 36 inches of snowfall, the humble ski area located just 25 minutes from Albuquerque, was able to open on November 9, 2024, 48 days ahead of its projected opening day.
“We’re committed to providing as much access as possible, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome guests to the mountain this season,” general manager Scott Leigh said in a press release.
Photo: Courtesy Sandia Peak Ski Area
The early opening day excluded beginner trails, rentals, dining options, or lessons. It’s back to being closed today, but ski area management is preparing to open for its full 7-day-a-week operations. As of Monday, Sandia Peak had a 16 to 24 inch base.
Sandia Peak is within the Cibola National Forest, and says it’s the first in the state of New Mexico. Families in the area might want to strongly consider heading there, because children ages 12 and under get to ride and ski for free, with no purchase or blackout dates. There are 35 trails serviced by four lifts. Eleven of those trails are black diamonds.
The Sandia Peak summit sits at 10,378 feet, and has a vertical drop of 1,700 feet. An early November storm is definitely an anomaly: OnTheSnow reports that the best month for storms is January, with an average of 14 inches.
Photo: Sandia Peak Ski Area
The ski area is owned and managed by The Abruzzo family and Mountain Capital Partners. MCP owns and operates three other ski areas that have already had an opening day: Purgatory Resort in Colorado, Brian Head Resort in southern Utah, and Arizona Snowbowl.
Lift tickets for Sandia Peak are as affordable as any in the United States. As of midday on November 11, the most expensive lift ticket through the month of January was $29, with several days starting at just $19. That could change though, because of a tiered pricing system that varies as demand decreases or increases.
Up the road in Santa Fe, Ski Santa Fe has pushed up its opening day to November 23 after the storm. As of right now, the ski area has a 24 inch base, with a little less than two weeks to go.