Northern New Mexico ski areas getting ready

Snowmaking guns spray the hills at Taos Ski Valley

While most of us are still trying to decide if we want to be pirates, ghosts or witches for Halloween, ski resorts in Northern New Mexico, like Taos Ski Valley, are thinking about the next big holiday -- Thanksgiving. That's when many are planning to open for the 2009-2010 season.

Seth Bullington shot this picture our way. He tells us that daytime temperatures are dropping and the snow guns in Taos are operating 24 hours a day.

The crews will make snow on 100% of TSV’s beginner and intermediate terrain, giving Taos Ski Valley the largest snowmaking coverage area in the region.

“The key ingredients in snowmaking are air, water, and air temperatures below 28 degrees which we have had for the last couple of days,” Mountain Manager Bill Etchemendy said.

Time to think about heating up some wax and dusting off the boards.

Snowmaking continues until the middle of January. For mountain ski info check out SkiTaos.org. And, check out Ski New Mexico to get the latest on all of New Mexico's ski areas.