Low snow has pinched visitation to Colorado’s ski areas this season, with visits to Colorado Ski Country’s 22 member resorts down 7.4 percent through February. The now infamous drought of December and January will probably push the season’s visits to all 26 Colorado ski areas well below last year’s 12 million mark.
Earlier this month, Vail Resorts announced visitation to its four Colorado ski areas was down 8.8 percent through January.
Nationwide, last season was the second-busiest for U.S. ski resorts. With snowfall up almost 30 percent at ski areas last season, visitation climbed to 60.1 million, the second time the nation’s ski hills saw visits break the 60-million threshold. Early reports indicate national visitation will decline this season.
Aspen Skiing Co., which operates four resorts in the Roaring Fork Valley, has seen visitation climb 2.1 percent through February, compared with the same period last season, bucking both the state and national downward trend.
“While some of our members are having banner years, this is a challenging season for most of Colorado, and the U.S. ski industry as a whole,” said trade group Colorado Ski Country president and chief executive Melanie Mills, in a statement released Friday. “We’re comparing this year to last year, when many resorts saw record- setting snow.”
