The sound of rain falling on metal roofing stirs me from sleep. Definitely not dripping from snowmelt. My cat, Smoke, a rather noisy, expressive fellow, meows loudly, noises that sound like ‘hellow’ followed by a rather slight frame landing on my side of the bed. I touch his fur, welcoming his familiar nightly cuddle. His coat is fluffed out and damp, confirming a quieter, gentler form of moisture outside. A bit unusual to have rain in late December, but not unheard of.
At dawn, the shortest day of the year seems even shorter as a thick fog has moved in, blocking the sun’s arrival. I wonder if it is snowing because it is so hard to see. But the sheen of the wet porch littered with Ponderosa pine needles shimmers, clearly no snow.
Taos Ski Valley reports 4 new inches of the white stuff. Given the warm temperatures, I am sure it is dense, thick, moisture-laden snow. Excellent for covering the slim 2 feet of natural and man-made snow on the few open runs. Just one good ‘dump’ of 24 to 36 inches can get the season going. Timing is everything.
There have been years where Thanksgiving Day’s opening has been spectacular with almost every run accessible, groomers and steeps alike. There have also been worse years where Christmas holiday sliders have crammed onto only 2 narrow strips of skiable terrain, sometimes called the “white ribbons of death.” A bit of an extreme description, perhaps.
The fog lifts mid-day warming temperatures up to the high forties in the town of Taos. Can’t really complain about that, unless you’re in the ski business. Perfect outside weather.
Winter’s plunging single-digit degrees are in the forecast for Christmas. Winter storm warnings predict up to 2-feet on the mountaintops of Wheeler Peak and Kachina. The fate of a ski area can change that quickly, in a blink of an eye. Fingers crossed. New Mexico needs the moisture however it comes.
Happy Holidays
