U.S. skier visits climb to 2d-best total on record

Posted on May 12, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

Solid snowfall helped bring skier U.S. visits up to near record levels for the 2010-2011 season.

Trade group says solid snowfall helped boost totals in most regions

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Good snowfall and a long season helped boost skier visits nationwide to 60.1 million, the second-highest total ever behind the record-breaking 2007-2008 season.

It’s only the second time that the total has passed the 60-million mark, according to a press release from the National Ski Areas Association. The preliminary tally represents a 0.6 percent increase from last season’s 59.8 million skier visits.

Solid snowfall throughout the season may have been a big factor, the trade group said. snowfall was up 27 percent on average around the country, with only the southeast region seeing a drop in precipitation.

The biggest snowfall increases came in the Pacific Southwest region (43 percent), the Northeast (37 percent) and the Rockies (31 percent). Snowfall was up 26 percent over last year in the Midwest, and 9 percent in the Pacific Northwest, but down by 42 percent in the Southeast, reflecting a typical La Niña weather pattern. (more…)

Filed under: business, Colorado, ski industry, Ski Resorts, skiing and riding, Snow and weather, Summit County Colorado, Summit County news | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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