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Winter Arrives Early as New Mexico Ski Resort Gets First Snowfall

Originally posted on Powder | By Izzy Lidsky | Last updated Sep 3, 2025 3:21 PM ET

Many consider the Labor Day holiday to be an unofficial 'end of summer,' despite the Earth's rotations telling us that technically, summer doesn't end until the fall equinox on September 22. Whatever an arbitrary holiday weekend or witchy seasonal celebration may tell us, apparently, in some places, Mother Nature put away her summer whites and decided it was time for winter.

On Labor Day proper this year, northern New Mexico saw the signs that summer is over and winter is well on its way.

A dusting of snow visited Taos Ski Valley's uppermost elevations, and while it may not have been much or stuck around long, it's clear that winter is muchcloser than we might think it is.

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The Old Farmer's Almanac has called for a 'cool, dry' fall in New Mexico and a 'warm, dry' fall in the surrounding areas of Arizona, Colorado, and Utah.

Things are certainly cooling off in New Mexico (especially compared to Bend, where it was 92 degrees yesterday). Highs are in the low-50s throughout the rest of the week at Taos, and lows are hovering in the 40s. There's not much more snow predicted, but the forecast is calling for a few more days of rain and thunderstorms.

Taos Ski Valley is currently slated to open on November 28 for the 2025/26 ski season, according to an Instagram post from a few weeks ago.

While you probably don't need to start waxing your skis and digging out all those single ski socks just yet, the first snow of the year is a reminder that ski season will be here before you know it (for those of us who haven't been counting down since the last season ended).

Many brands are starting to release their 2026 product, and we'll be releasing our gear guide on POWDER in the near future. Whether you're in the camp of 'summer's already over,' or 'summer's not over until it's actually cold,' soak up whatever last bits of it while you still can.

This article first appeared on Powder and was syndicated with permission.

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