Poor early-winter snow conditions caused skier visits to drop 4 percent in January and February at Colorado resorts represented by Colorado Ski Country USA.
Much of the decline occurred because of substandard snow in January. Better snowfall in February wasn’t enough to reverse the lower volume in January.
“Snow conditions are the biggest driver of visitation,” said Melanie Mills, president and chief executive of Colorado Ski Country USA.
“So where conditions were dry during some important midseason weeks, we saw a sizable drop in visits,” she said. “The combination of snow, when it arrived, and a smorgasbord of great deals really boosted visits in February.”
The industry trade association said skier visits season-to-date are down 2 percent compared with last year. The totals are from the association’s 22 member ski areas. Not included are Vail Resorts Inc. areas — Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone. Vail Resorts withdrew from the association in 2008.
Vail Resorts reported Wednesday that skier visits in the three-month period from November through January were down 1.6 percent.
Good snowfall in February and so far in March has led some resorts to extend their seasons beyond originally announced closing dates.
Steve Raabe: 303-954-1948 or sraabe@denverpost.com
