The Countdown Is On: Snowmaking Test Complete at Sunday River

Newry, ME (September 20, 2025) — The push toward winter began at Sunday River this morning as snowguns roared to life on North Peak’s Lower Downdraft trail during the resort’s annual snowmaking test, completing an early milestone on the road to the 2025/26 ski season.

Sunday River operates the most powerful snowmaking system in New England, pumping 11,500 gallons of water per minute with more than 2,000 snowguns across its eight interconnected peaks. To put that into perspective: the system could 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.

Over the last three years, the resort has made a series of major investments to increase snowmaking efficiency and capacity, with the biggest benefits felt in the early season. These upgrades give the resort the power to maximize snowmaking windows and get more terrain open faster.

Key investments include:

• Locke Booster Pumphouse (2025): This investment will significantly increase the snowmaking capacity on Locke and Barker peaks. For example, the resort is now able to run snowguns across Jordan, Barker, and Locke, at the same time without compromising capacity or efficiency.
• High-Efficiency HKD Snowguns: Over 550 were added in recent years, including 160 new snowguns last summer, allowing the resort to maximize efficiency during every cold snap while reducing environmental impact.
• More Snowmaking Pipe: Recently, nearly two miles of 20-inch snowmaking pipe was installed, connecting the North Peak Booster Pump House to the summit of the Jordan Bowl, to triple water capacity in the area and support faster snow coverage.

“Snowmaking is at the heart of who we are, it’s in our DNA, and this successful test signals that we’re ready for the season ahead,” said Sunday River General Manager Brian Heon. “We’re excited to get back to what we do best and share the first turns of the season with our guests.”

While an official opening date is still to be determined, Sunday River’s snowmaking team is ready to go all out as soon as overnight temperatures drop between 25–30 degrees. And if The Farmers’ Almanac holds true, skiers and riders have plenty to look forward to as the forecast calls for a cold, snow-filled winter in New England.

For more information and to stay up to date on resort updates, please visit: sundayriver.com

###