Whistler Blackcomb Holdings Inc.’s retail and rental sales surged 39.1 percent in the fiscal second quarter ended March 31, as normal snowfalls drew regional skiers and snowboarders back to North America’s largest mountain resort.

The company reported revenues from its rental and retail operations at the Whistler-Blackcomb Resort in British Columbia grew by CAD$8.9 million to CAD$31.8 million during the quarter and were up 30.9 percent for the six months, ended March 31, compared with a year earlier.

Retail/rental gross margins slipped to 44.7 percent from 45.6 percent, however, due largely to an increase in the amount of merchandise carried over from the 2014/15 season, when the resort received just 57 percent of its average snowfall.

Statistics published on the resort’s website show the resort received 274 inches of snow from January through March compared with 118 inches the same period last year. Total year-to-date snowfall through May 13 was 486 inches, or well above the 10-year average of 458 feet.

Retail/rental revenues actually outpaced growth in skier visits, which increased 27.7 and 26.5 percent, respectively, for the three- and six-month periods ended March 31, compared with the year earlier period. The growth was driven by a revival of regional visitors, who accounted for 55 percent of the total visitation compared with 51 percent a year earlier.

“It has been a tremendously successful ski season with a strong rebound from our regional market and continued growth from our destination markets,” said Dave Brownlie, president and chief executive officer for the company. “As the2015/16 ski season winds down, we are shifting our focus to our summer business, which we believe is well positioned to see continued visitation momentum with our Whistler Mountain bike park opening on May 20 and a strong line-up of events in Whistler this summer.”

In early April, Whistler-Blackcomb unveiled a plan to invest CAD$345 million in new amenities, including infrastructure for summer recreation designed to reduce its reliance on winter sports revenue.