Just about every major mountain range not in Summit County was suffering through erratic snow and warm temperatures this winter.
But that could not keep people off the slopes.
This ski season was the second busiest on record, according to the National Ski Areas Association. An estimated 61.5 million people visited nearly 500 ski areas nationwide, including one of the best seasons in recent years for small to medium-sized ski hills like Loveland and Monarch.
“This second-highest visitation on record suggests that the U.S. ski industry remains healthy and that demand for outdoor recreation continues to be strong,” the NSAA said in a press release.
A few more trends from the NSAA 2024-2025 ski season recap:
- Average ski area snowfall totaled 150 inches, down 6.9% from the 2023-2024 season, 2 feet less than 10-year average (175 inches)
- The Rocky Mountain region attracted 42.9% of all national visits, ranking third out of 47 seasons on record
- The Pacific Northwest claimed its best season on record with 4.7 million skier visits, a 10.9% increase over the previous year despite below-average snow
- The number of operating ski areas rose from 484 last season to 492 this season
- 49% of skiers and riders were using a season pass
- U.S. ski areas spent $624.4 million on capital projects, including 97 new and upgraded chairlifts
- This summer, for the first time in over a decade, there are no major chairlift upgrades or installs in Summit County or the Vail area