Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA) announced Thursday that its 22 member ski areas saw a dip in skier visitation for the second period of the 2009-10 ski and snowboard season — from January 1 through February 28, 2010 — as compared to the same period of the year prior. Skier visits at CSCUSA resorts were down 4% during the second period, and off by 2% percent season-to-date compared to the same time last season.
The numbers released Thursday by the state ski marketing organization echo those released earlier in the week for Vail Mountain, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone, four ski mountains owned by Vail Resorts that do not belong to CSCUSA. Vail Resorts reported a 1.6% decline in skier visits at its Colorado properties.
“Snow conditions are the biggest driver of visitation,” stated Melanie Mills, president & CEO of Colorado Ski Country USA. “So where conditions were dry during some important mid-season weeks, we saw a sizeable drop in visits. The combination of snow, when it arrived, and a smorgasbord of great deals really boosted visits in February.”
"While current conditions at all of our resorts are terrific, snowfall in the earlier part of the ski season was at thirty-year lows at our Colorado resorts," confirmed Rob Katz, CEO of Vail Resorts. "Vail Mountain visitation was the most impacted as we could not open the vast majority of the Back Bowls until after Christmas."
Visitation slowed in January along with snowfall. Drier conditions for the first month of the year gave way to increasing storms in February. Snowfall remains well below average across the northern and central parts of the state, however, ranging from 55% of normal at Loveland Ski Area to 86% of normal at Breckenridge as of March 1. El Niño weather patterns have left above-normal snowfall on ski slopes in the state's southwestern quadrant, ranging from 99% of normal at Crested Butte to 145% of normal at Wolf Creek as of the same date.
With inspiration from the Winter Olympics, skiers and riders took advantage of the mid-season conditions and kept resorts busy over the President’s Day holiday weekend. Skier spending is trending up somewhat, as is participation in ski school.
“There is a sense of some pent-up craving to ski this season as skiers and riders flock to the mountains during peak times. They’re navigating the economic environment and are enjoying our world class resorts and the state’s signature winter activities,” continued Mills.
There are more than two months left in the ski season as the industry enters spring. Some resorts in Colorado are already extending their seasons beyond the scheduled closing date and others are shifting to longer operating hours during the spring to take advantage of daylight savings and rebuilding snowpack.
