Popular Maine Ski Resort Begins Snowmaking

“The start of snowmaking is always an exciting time for us,” said Resort General Manager Brian Heon. “With the power of our snowmaking system, we’re charging ahead to open the resort as soon as possible.”

Today, some of that snow remains. Views from Sunday River’s Jordan 8 webcam show a run caked in white from wall to wall.

Sunday River aims to open as soon as possible, with the Jordan 8 chairlift—an 8-place Doppelmayr D-Line number—providing access to early-season terrain throughout the Jordan Bowl and top-to-bottom skiing. The Jordan Hotel has the ski-in, ski-out bases covered.

Sunday River opened for skiing and riding on November 14th last season. The Weather Channel’s ten-day forecast for Sunday River indicates the arrival of more snowmaking openings in the near future. Starting on November 1st, nightly temperatures are predicted to dive below freezing.

Ahead of the coming season, Sunday River’s been hard at work boosting its snowmaking capacity. This summer, the resort added 160 high-efficiency automated HKD snow guns, contributing to the more than 550 total snow guns added over the past three years. According to Sunday River, these upgrades have made the resort better able to take advantage of cold snaps whilst blowing snow with higher efficiency.

Together, Sunday River's snowmaking system can produce 11,500 gallons of water per minute, which could fill the famed Boston, Massachusetts, baseball stadium Fenway Park in under 17 hours.

Video: First Snowmaking Effort at Sunday River, Maine, 10/27/24

Sunday River Snowmaking, October 27, 2024 (0:50)

As the ski season’s arrival inches closer and closer, Killington, Vermont, is another notable resort to keep tabs on. Like Sunday River, they lean heavily into snowmaking, an approach that reliably produces early-season dividends. Last fall, Killington opened on November 3rd, reasserting its claim to the extended ski season throne.

In short, it shouldn’t be too long now. Whether you’re an East Coaster or a West Coaster, those first turns are within reach. Start doing those pre-season workouts you told yourself you’d do over the summer. It’s time.

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