SnowStash
ForecastsCompareNews
SnowStash Logo

Live snow, webcams and expert resort guides for the world's mountains - plan your next day on snow.

hello@snowstash.com
Download on the App Store

Destinations

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • Europe
  • Japan
  • New Zealand
  • United States

Company

  • About Us
  • Work With Us
  • Privacy Policy

Explore

  • Compare Resorts
  • News & Updates
  • Snow Forecast
  • Mobile App

© 2026 SnowStash. All rights reserved.

    New Mexico, USA

    Pajarito Mountain

    750 acres, 45 runs near Los Alamos. Founded by Manhattan Project scientists, Power Pass access.

    Season 2025 - 2026
    Opens
    14 Dec 2025
    Closes
    8 Mar 2026
    Days open
    84
    Annual snow
    14ft
    The Overview
    MF
    Michael Fulton
    Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.

    Pajarito Mountain's summit reaches 10,440 feet, dropping 1,441 vertical feet to a base at 8,999 feet across 45 runs spread over 750 acres near Los Alamos, New Mexico. Terrain splits 50 per cent intermediate, 30 per cent advanced and 20 per cent beginner, with no expert-rated runs, and average annual snowfall of roughly 165 inches. The resort offers Power Pass access. Five lifts, including three double chairs and one quad chair, serve the mountain alongside one surface lift.

    Pajarito carries an unusual scientific pedigree: the ski area traces directly back to the Manhattan Project scientists and soldiers stationed at nearby Los Alamos during the Second World War. This origin gives the resort a distinctive place in ski history among New Mexico's mountains, alongside its more conventional identity today as a community-run, volunteer-supported ski area. Its terrain mix, weighted toward intermediate and advanced skiing, suits a broad range of visitors.

    In 1943, Los Alamos scientists and soldiers, many of whom had grown up skiing in the Alps, formed the Los Alamos Ski Club, with early members including Nobel laureates Enrico Fermi and Emilio Segrè, along with J. Robert Oppenheimer. The club first opened a modest ski hill at Sawyers Hill in December 1944, charging 7.50 US dollars a person for access to a single tow rope. As snow on Sawyers Hill grew unreliable, the club identified Pajarito Mountain as offering steeper runs, more terrain and more consistent snow.

    On 23 November 1957, the volunteer-built Pajarito Mountain ski area opened with two tows, double the vertical drop of Sawyers Hill, a beginner's slope and a narrow upper trail. Investor James Coleman acquired the ski area in 2014 in partnership with Los Alamos County, and the resort joined Mountain Capital Partners in 2018, combining continued volunteer involvement with professional management. Adult daily tickets run from 45 to 65 US dollars, with the Power Pass from 399 dollars.

    1,440ft
    Vertical
    45
    Runs
    750 acres
    Skiable
    14ft
    Annual snow
    The Terrain

    45 runs across 750 acres skiable

    Pajarito Mountain spreads 45 runs across 750 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 50%, with 9 beginner runs to find your feet and 14 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.

    Terrain split
    45
    runs
    45 runs across 4 grades
    Beginner9 runs · 20%
    Intermediate23 runs · 50%
    Advanced14 runs · 30%
    Expert0 runs · 0%
    Time it right

    When to visit Pajarito Mountain

    The 2025-26 season at Pajarito Mountain ran from 14 December 2025 to 8 March 2026, one of the shorter seasons among New Mexico's ski areas at roughly twelve weeks. Average annual snowfall of around 165 inches supports this window, though the resort's season length can vary more than higher-snowfall New Mexico peers depending on annual conditions. Season dates can shift depending on early and late-season weather.

    Midwinter, from January through February, typically offers the most reliable natural conditions across the resort's intermediate and advanced terrain. Given Pajarito's scientific-community origins and continued volunteer involvement, the resort retains a distinctly local character relative to New Mexico's more commercially oriented mountains. Weekend crowds draw primarily from the Los Alamos and broader northern New Mexico area.

    As a Power Pass resort under Mountain Capital Partners since 2018, Pajarito draws some visiting skiers holding that multi-resort pass in addition to its core Los Alamos community base. School holiday periods bring increased family visitation given the resort's intermediate and beginner-weighted terrain. The resort's origins within the Los Alamos Ski Club continue to shape its community-oriented programming.

    Specific event programming beyond standard lift operations is not confirmed in available resort information. The blend of volunteer involvement and Mountain Capital Partners' professional management, in place since 2018, continues to define how the resort operates each season. Pajarito's identity as a mountain built by scientists and volunteers remains a distinctive part of its seasonal character.

    Season 2025 - 2026
    14 Dec 2025
    Opens
    8 Mar 2026
    Closes
    84
    Days open
    14 ft
    Annual snow
    Getting there

    Getting to Pajarito Mountain, and where to stay

    Pajarito Mountain sits near Los Alamos in northern New Mexico, with a base elevation of 8,999 feet and a summit at 10,440 feet across a 1,441-foot vertical drop over 750 acres. The resort sits within the Jemez Mountains, a volcanic range distinct from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains that host Santa Fe and Taos further east.

    Los Alamos itself is the nearest town, a small city built around the Los Alamos National Laboratory with a history directly tied to the ski area's founding by Manhattan Project scientists. Santa Fe, New Mexico's state capital, lies roughly 35 miles to the southeast, providing more extensive lodging and dining options for visitors. The surrounding Jemez Mountains offer additional outdoor recreation beyond skiing.

    New Mexico State Route 501 and local roads connect Los Alamos to Pajarito Mountain, with the resort a short drive from the town centre. Winter driving conditions on the approach can include snow and ice at elevation, though the route is well used given the resort's role as the community's local mountain. There is no direct public transport service to the ski area.

    Santa Fe Regional Airport, roughly 45 minutes away, is the nearest airport with commercial service, while Albuquerque International Sunport offers more extensive flight options a further drive to the south. Most Pajarito visitors are Los Alamos and northern New Mexico locals rather than fly-in destination travellers, consistent with the resort's community-rooted identity.

    Where to stay

    Search all stays →

    Hotels and lodges near Pajarito Mountain, powered by Stay22.

    Latest News

    From the SnowStash desk

    View all news →
    FIS Weighs Holding World Championships in Almost Every Winter, Starting 2032

    FIS Weighs Holding World Championships in Almost Every Winter, Starting 2032

    The International Ski and Snowboard Federation is looking at a major shake-up to its title events calendar. From 2032, World Championships could run not just in odd-numbered years but in every non-Olympic winter too, effectively putting a global title event on the calendar almost every season. The FIS Council has approved the concept following a feasibility study, though an accelerated rollout as early as 2028 is also under consideration.

    4 Sept 2026
    Mount Buller Becomes Latest Australian Resort to Call Time Early on 2026

    Mount Buller Becomes Latest Australian Resort to Call Time Early on 2026

    Mount Buller closes out its 2026 season this Sunday, joining Falls Creek, Hotham and Charlotte Pass in a cluster of closures landing almost simultaneously and roughly a month ahead of schedule. The culprit is stark: Spencers Creek's benchmark snow depth hit 31.2cm on 3 September, just 18% of the 73-year average and an all-time low for this point in the season. Six of Victoria and NSW's best-known resorts will have shut their lifts early within a span of about two and a half weeks.

    4 Sept 2026
    Tremblant to Add New Timber Summit Ski Sector for 2027/28 Season

    Tremblant to Add New Timber Summit Ski Sector for 2027/28 Season

    Tremblant has confirmed a major expansion of its Quebec ski area, with a new Timber Summit sector adding 62 acres of terrain, eight trails and a high-speed quad chairlift for winter 2027/28. It's part of a CAD 42.5 million investment that also includes a new beginner learning zone at Versant Soleil opening this coming season. The project has grown considerably since it was first announced back in 2020, when it carried a far smaller budget and an opening date that never eventuated.

    2 Sept 2026
    Mount Hotham to Close for the 2026 Season on Sunday, September 6

    Mount Hotham to Close for the 2026 Season on Sunday, September 6

    We knew when the Bird Bath Pond Skim showed up on Hotham's Instagram that the season was on its way out. It's been a rough one - I only managed two days on snow all year, at Falls Creek - and now Baw Baw, Selwyn and Hotham have all called it, possibly the worst Australian season I've seen in a decade. Hotham's last day of lift operations is Sunday, 6 September, with a Retro Day, Father's Day après and closing sales before the lifts stop turning for good.

    1 Sept 2026
    Thredbo to Replace Ageing Gunbarrel Quad With New Six-Seat Chairlift for 2028

    Thredbo to Replace Ageing Gunbarrel Quad With New Six-Seat Chairlift for 2028

    Thredbo Alpine Resort has confirmed plans to replace its 37-year-old Gunbarrel quad chairlift with a new six-seat Doppelmayr D-Line, targeting winter 2028. The AUD 35 million project will keep travel time roughly the same but lift capacity from 2,800 to 3,000 skiers per hour. It's part of a broader investment push that also includes doubled snowmaking capacity at Friday Flat for 2027, with the ageing Kosciuszko Express now flagged as the resort's next major lift replacement after Gunbarrel.

    31 Aug 2026
    Aerial Tram Collides With Crane at Alpe d'Huez: 23 Injured

    Aerial Tram Collides With Crane at Alpe d'Huez: 23 Injured

    An aerial tram carrying around fifty passengers struck the boom of a construction crane on the route to Pic Blanc at Alpe d'Huez on Wednesday morning, injuring 23 people, three seriously. The cabin tipped on impact before the operator reversed it to right the car. Most of the injured were treated on site, with five taken to hospital in Grenoble, including a pregnant woman assessed as a precaution.

    28 Aug 2026
    Why Glaciers Are Collapsing - And What Happens When They Do

    Why Glaciers Are Collapsing - And What Happens When They Do

    A deadly flood on the Nepal-China border, a decade-old tragedy on Italy's Marmolada, and an unstable glacier right now above a village near Zermatt - three very different mountain ranges, the same underlying story. Warming ice is destabilising terrain that was considered settled for generations, and the results range from catastrophic floods to slow-motion monitoring situations that could go either way.

    27 Aug 2026
    Pitztal Glacier Set to Reopen for the 2026/27 Ski Season on 26 September

    Pitztal Glacier Set to Reopen for the 2026/27 Ski Season on 26 September

    Tyrol's highest ski area is gearing up to open a full month ahead of most of the Alps. The Pitztal Glacier is scheduled to start its 2026/27 season on Saturday 26 September, running through to 2 May 2027, with the lower-altitude Rifflsee area following in December. High-altitude terrain up to 3,440 metres gives the glacier a head start on snow, though as always, the actual opening extent will depend on how September's weather plays out. Early online ski pass bookings can save up to 30%.

    26 Aug 2026

    Pajarito Mountain Snow Report

    Snow Report
    Updated 10 Sept 2026
    10,440ft
    summit
    +0in
    new snow · last 24 hours
    Clear47°F / 73°F · W 9mph
    Snowfall
    24 hours
    0in
    48 hours
    0in
    7 days
    0in
    Base depth
    0in
    Season total
    0in
    Total lifts5

    Live open status isn’t available right now.

    14 Dec 2025 - 8 Mar 2026

    Hour by Hour

    Next 47 hours· Updated Sep 10, 2026 at 6:02 PM
    ThuNow8p9p10p11pFri12a1a2a3a4a5a6a7a8a9a10a11a12p1p2p3p4p5p6p7p8p9p10p11pSat12a1a2a3a4a5a6a7a8a9a10a11a12p1p2p3p4p5p
    Conditions
    Temp°F · feels
    6762
    6355
    6050
    5848
    5748
    5647
    5647
    5347
    5146
    5246
    5246
    5141
    5040
    5847
    6454
    6857
    7061
    7265
    7468
    7569
    7568
    7463
    7260
    7160
    6756
    6455
    6353
    6252
    5950
    5647
    5850
    5849
    5849
    5750
    5448
    5346
    5346
    5851
    6153
    6559
    6966
    7474
    7676
    7366
    6863
    5249
    6361
    Snowfallin
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    0
    Precip chance%
    0%
    0%
    0%
    0%
    0%
    0%
    0%
    0%
    0%
    0%
    0%
    0%
    0%
    0%
    0%
    0%
    0%
    0%
    0%
    1%
    1%
    1%
    2%
    2%
    3%
    3%
    3%
    3%
    3%
    4%
    3%
    3%
    2%
    2%
    0%
    0%
    0%
    0%
    0%
    0%
    0%
    0%
    16%
    16%
    16%
    16%
    16%
    Precipin00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000.00.00.20.0
    Wind / gustmph
    3G4
    4G15
    8G15
    7G14
    7G12
    6G12
    8G12
    8G10
    7G10
    6G6
    6G9
    8G14
    9G17
    10G21
    12G25
    15G21
    15G20
    12G15
    11G15
    11G16
    12G16
    18G22
    17G23
    15G22
    15G25
    14G25
    15G26
    17G31
    18G34
    16G32
    13G24
    13G24
    13G23
    9G18
    6G14
    8G17
    10G17
    12G22
    14G21
    10G15
    7G11
    3G8
    4G5
    9G5
    8G6
    6G6
    5G7

    Scroll for the full outlook · Open-Meteo

    7-Day Outlook

    10,440 ftUpdated Sep 10, 2026 at 6:02 PMOpen-Meteo

    Days 1–7

    0.0"

    Days 8–14

    0.0"

    Unlock days 8–14

    Free account required

    Thu, Sept 10

    Clear
    Temp73° / 47°°F
    Snow0.0"
    Wind9 mph W

    Live snow from the resort feed; forecast from Open-Meteo, via Supabase.

    Understanding the Pajarito Mountain snow report

    Planning a day at Pajarito Mountain? Our snow report combines official mountain data with live weather so you know exactly what conditions look like right now, from the 2743m base to the 3182m summit.

    Snow measurements

    Our snow reports measure snowfall in centimeters over multiple time windows — last 24 hours, last 7 days, and the season total. Base depth reflects accumulation at the 2743m base area, while summit depth captures conditions 439m higher at 3182m, where snow typically stays colder and lingers longer. Imperial conversions are shown alongside for convenience.

    Weather conditions

    Wind and temperature swings matter as much as fresh snowfall. Cold, calm conditions hold snow quality well, while wind-loading or a warm-up can change things quickly — especially given the elevation spread between Pajarito Mountain's base and summit.

    Data sources

    We pull Pajarito Mountain's conditions from on-the-ground mountain reporting, then layer in forecast data so you get a fuller picture than either source alone. The mountain is served by 5 lifts, including a quad chairlift.

    When to check

    Snow reports are typically updated early morning and late afternoon. For the most current conditions, check back regularly, especially if a winter storm is approaching.