The Utah ski and snowboard industry closed the 2009-10 winter season this past Sunday with a total of 4,048,153 skier days, up 2% from the 2008-09 season at 3,972,984. The National Ski Areas Association defines ‘skier days’ as one person visiting a ski area for all or any part of a day or night for the purpose of skiing/snowboarding. 


The 2% increase marks a great success for the industry in light of the current economic climate. Ski Utah President Nathan Rafferty noted that visitation numbers improved steadily after the first of the year and continued to grow through the end of the season.

“The incredible loyalty snow sport enthusiasts have for our sport continues to be one of the industry’s key strengths,” said Ski Utah President Nathan Rafferty. “We are fortunate to rely on the dedication and passion of our consumer as a barrier against the uncertainty of today’s economy.”


Visitation was boosted by abundant powder late into the season. Mother Nature delivered an unbelievable 152 inches of snow in April and 58 inches in May. Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort, which closed winter operations on June 20, recorded a season snow total of 603 inches, well above the state’s 500 inch average.