Industry News
Winter has officially begun at Sunday River Resort, Maine, with the resort receiving its first natural snow on Saturday, November 1. That allowed the snowmaking team to fire up the snowguns before sunrise on Sunday, November 2, across Locke and Jordan peaks, bringing the resort one step closer to opening day. “Our team lives for this time of year,” Brian Heon, General Manager of Sunday River, said in a press release.
Thanks to its snowmaking capabilities, Sunday River in Maine opened last year on November 14. “Snowmaking isn’t just what we do, it’s who we are. We operate one of the most powerful snowmaking systems in the world, and it’s all backed by our incredible team,” Heon said. Sunday River’s snowmaking system spans eight interconnected peaks with over 2,000 snowguns. The recently installed Grand Junction Booster Pumphouse increases snowmaking capacity on Locke and Barker peaks, allowing snowguns to run across Jordan, Barker, and Locke simultaneously without compromising efficiency. The system pumps 11,500 gallons of water per minute, enough to fill Gillette Stadium in just over two days, Fenway Park in under 17 hours, an Olympic-sized pool in less than an hour, or a standard bathtub in under half a second.
With the season just around the corner, Sunday River is looking to have another great season. The resort is bringing back the Igloo, which is the first slopeside igloo in North America. It debuted in 2023 and brings a unique European-inspired alpine experience to Western Maine. The Igloo is the ultimate après spot, where people can ski or ride right up to and step into a space that feels both playful and sophisticated. It features hand-carved snow seating pods, an ice bar, and a menu of champagne, specialty cocktails, and other drinks designed to celebrate a great day on the mountain. On select evenings, the Igloo transforms into a one-of-a-kind nighttime destination where the ice glows under dynamic lighting and the atmosphere shifts into an intimate yet lively alpine lounge.
Sunday River operates the most powerful snowmaking system in New England, and it just completed the Grand Junction Booster pumphouse this summer. It is a major upgrade to the resort’s snowmaking system that increases both capacity and efficiency across Locke and Barker peaks. This upgrade is designed to help connect all eight peaks faster, expand terrain, and maximize snowmaking windows in the early season. This allows the resort not to sacrifice capacity when making snow across Jordan, Barker, and Locke. When temperatures allow, this added efficiency will revolutionize how we expand early-season terrain, allowing these key areas to connect as quickly as possible.
Sunday River operates one of the most advanced lift networks in New England, anchored by the Jordan 8 and Barker 6, which opened in the last 3 years and have transformed the resort. The lifts feature the same signature elements: ergonomically heated seats and weather-blocking red bubbles, designed for comfort, speed, and reliability. The Jordan 8 is North America’s fastest lift of its kind, carrying skiers and snowboarders from the base of Jordan Bowl to the summit in just 4.5 minutes. The Barker 6 is Sunday River’s latest chairlift upgrade. Replacing the Barker Express, the high-speed Doppelmayr D-Line delivers comfort, capacity, and speed.
Completed last winter, the Jordan lobby invites you to step into a space where Maine heritage and outdoor tradition meet modern comfort and sophistication. Every detail is designed to create an elevated, luxurious experience that is warm and welcoming while still capturing the quiet serenity of the Maine outdoors. The Jordan offers sweeping views of the resort’s western peaks and across the valley toward the Mahoosuc Range.
Sunday River is usually one of the first ski resorts to open on the East Coast for the season. The resort officially kicked off the countdown to winter with its annual snowmaking test on September 20 and started making snow this past weekend. That should be the signal to skiers and snowboarders to get ready for the season, to get their gear and equipment ready for the season to start at Sunday River. The resort typically opens around the second weekend in November, which gives skiers and riders just under 10 days to get ready for the first chair of the season in Maine.
