First Flurries Fall on Taos Ski Valley, NM

The last day of September was a good one at New Mexico’s Taos Ski Valley. While the lower parts of Taos County were experiencing heavy rainfall, it was a different story at the resort’s higher elevations, with the resort receiving its first snowfall of the year. Flurries fell on the Highline area at the resort, which sits at about 12,000 feet above sea level.

In total, about three inches of snow accumulated high on the ridge. The snow looks to be sticking around, too, with the Highline webcam still showing plenty of white on the peaks.

“Good Morning First Snows!” Taos Ski Valley wrote in its Instagram post.

Taos isn’t the only resort to record its first flakes of the season before October. Mammoth Mountain, California; Arizona Snowbowl, Arizona; Snowbird, Utah; Arapahoe Basin, Colorado; and others have all received snowfall in the past few weeks.

• Related: New First Snowfall Forecast Says Some Peaks Could See Flakes Before Halloween

New Mexico is coming off a summer marked by dry, smoky heat. However, those conditions did a full 180-degree turn when the monsoon season arrived. Though it came later than expected, it left the state experiencing the 19th wettest monsoon season on record, with some parts of the state picking up an entire season’s worth of rain in less than three weeks. In total, hotspots around the state experienced over 20 inches of rainfall, including Albuquerque, which broke its all-time September rainfall record, and Santa Fe, which logged its wettest monsoon ever.

The wet monsoon conditions, combined with cool fall weather in the high elevations, turned the rain into snow. Temperatures in the peaks dropped into the mid-30s and into the low 20s during the night hours, freezing the ridgeline’s damp soil and giving the snow a perfect place to sit.

While temperatures are expected to warm back up this weekend and next week, they are expected to drop the following weekend again. Then, Taos can potentially receive its second round.

• Related: The 2026-27 El Niño Ski Season Could Be the Biggest in Decades

The early season snowfall at Taos could be a good sign of things to come. New Mexico and Taos sit in the middle of the Super El Niño’s southern jet stream, which will bring consistent, heavy moisture from the Pacific Ocean. When the moisture meets the high-elevation, freezing air of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, massive snowfalls could be triggered. In the past, Taos has had strong El Niño seasons. If history continues and the Super El Niño brings heavy moisture as expected, Taos could have one of its best winters in decades.

While the early snow is positive news for Taos, much of New Mexico is currently struggling with the flooding. A combination of the monsoon and remnants of Hurricane Polo has damaged roads and caused flash flooding. New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham even declared a state of emergency across New Mexico, authorizing the use of emergency funds for emergency management.

The snow is certainly a positive sign for the upcoming ski season at Taos, but what New Mexico needs right now is the rainfall to slow down. As the state continues to move into fall, temperatures will drop. At higher elevations, the rain will fall as snow. But in warmer spots across the state, this year’s Super El Niño could prove to be a massive challenge and danger.