Snowmaking Continues as Temperatures Expected to Drop
Originally published Nov. 14, 2016
Sipapu is still on schedule to open this Saturday, making us not only the first resort to open in the state, but one of the first in the Southwest! We have continued to ramp up our snowmaking efforts, creating a solid base for our newest (and first-ever!) quad lift (Lift 5) and its route to Thumper. We are also increasing our snowmaking on the practice slope. This Saturday we will have both Lift 5 and the practice slope open. Ski school will also be open. There is limited terrain and instructors will be in high demand, so be sure to arrive early!
Top of Lift 5 (Jackalope) on Sunday. Photo Cred: Albert Graves.
Overall, we now have five very successful nights of snowmaking under our belts. We have commissioned enough snowmaking machinery to blow larger snowpiles than last season, and we are now pushing these piles out earlier than ever before. Our upgraded infrastructure has made it possible for us to blow the equivalent of five days worth of snow in just four days! We have been running three snow guns on the higher areas of the mountain and will add more as needed. Last week we commissioned an additional snow gun on the middle of Thumper. We are keeping a close eye on thinner snow areas and will allocate snowmaking infrastructure as needed. You can stay up-to-date on the progress of both the practice slope and the base area via our live mountain cam. This week’s forecast means more good news for snowmaking: temperatures are expected to drop below freezing Thursday night, with lows in the upper 20s. Throughout the weekend, lows are projected to hit all the way down in the teens. We intend to take full advantage of the winter weather by blowing snow for 24 straight hours beginning Thursday morning, and hopefully continuing into Friday. I am predicting that we will have up to a foot and a half of snow by Saturday. I know everyone wants to ski this weekend as badly as I do, and in order to make this happen, Sipapu will still have a few snow guns in place on the beginner and intermediate runs on Saturday. We ask that guests ski at a safe distance from the snowmaking machinery as we take full advantage of snowmaking with the colder temperatures.
Please excuse our mess! Construction is still underway in our Base Area. Photo Cred: Albert Graves.
Our 2016-2017 season pass deals are still available until Nov. 18, so make sure to get yours today! Payment plans are available. Passes can be purchased on our website and will be issued daily Nov. 18th from 9am to 3pm. From Nov. 19th on we will issue passes from 8am to 4pm daily. As always, check our snow report, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram regularly for the latest information on opening day and current conditions. If you have additional questions, please feel free to call 800-587-2240. See you on the slopes!
