Attack of La Niña: 2016 Winter Weather ReportMeteorologist Andy Church of the National Weather Service told the Albuquerque Journal, “The northern mountains will have the best chance for average or slightly-below-average snowpacks, and the best chance for lower-than-average snowpacks is in the southwest mountains,” but on the whole, expect a dry, warmer-than-usual winter with about 1.34 inches of precipitation in Albuquerque for December through February. Weather.com agrees, predicting above average temperatures throughout the Southwest. As for The Old Farmer’s Almanac, November (with an average temperature of 54°F) should start sunny and mild and end chilly with showers. December (with an average temperature of 45°) will begin sunny and cold and then flip-flop between rain and snow and mild sunniness. Also, take all of this with a grain of salt because, you know … weather.
Winter Guide
The Price is RightLift tickets are generally the most expensive part of snow sports. The below prices are for a regular season adult all-day lift ticket. Make sure to check resort websites for specials like family pricing, car load days, local appreciation days, student/military rates, discount cards (like the Peak Plus or Power Pack) and free days for specific age groups.Sipapu $45 Pajarito $49Sandia $55Apache $68Red River $73Angel Fire $73Santa Fe $75Taos $98
Winter Guide
On the Road AgainAhhh … those bitterly cold, dark winter mornings spent rocking out to Queen and cruising up the mountain to be the first on the lift. It’s a sacred ritual that usually involves coffee, breakfast burritos and watching the first rays of sunlight break over the frosty horizon. Beautiful. To make sure you leave early enough, check out approximately (depending on how legal your driving style is) how long it will take to make the journey from Burque to your chosen mountain.Sandia 39 minSanta Fe 1hr, 37 minPajarito 1 hr, 50 minSipapu 2 hr, 22 minTaos 2hr, 54 minAngel Fire 3 hrRed River 3 hr, 10 minApache 3 hr, 18 min
Winter Guide
The GoodsWhether you’re looking to rent or buy, you’ve just got to have the right gear. You don’t want to have to spend the whole day drinking in the lodge because your boots don’t fit or your cheapo bindings broke on the first run … or maybe you do want to get pissed with the other snow bunnies—no shame in your game, my friend. Either way, make sure to check out these excellent sporting good locales:BZ Skate Shop (3025 Central NE): boards, boots, badass t-shirts, sunglasses and moreSkate City Supply (1311 Eubank NE): boards, helmets, stickers, waxing, boots and moreOutdoor ReGear (4201 Yale NE): used boards, jackets, boots, skis, snowshoes and moreSport Systems (6915 Montgomery NE): roof racks, boards, boots, skis, clothes and moreHaven Skate Shop (114 Vassar SE): wax, irons, clothing and sunglassesIf you truly can’t find what you’re looking for, you can try out one of the big stores like REI (1550 Mercantile NE), Dick’s Sporting Goods (Coronado Center, 6600 Menaul NE), Big 5 Sporting Goods (2720 San Mateo NE), Vans (Coronado Center, 6600 Menaul NE), Zumiez (10000 Coors Bypass NW) or The North Face (2240 Q Street). But seriously, do your best to stick it to The Man by shopping local. The Mountain Gods will reward you and smile upon your next attempt at a 360° tailgrab.
