Less snow, fewer visitors: Utah ski resorts notch down year

Less snow, fewer visitors: Utah ski resorts notch down year

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah’s two-year streak of record visitation to the state’s ski resorts was snapped this past winter when visits dropped by 10 percent.

Ski Utah said Monday in a news release that the state logged 4.1 million skier days this past winter. That’s down from nearly 4.6 recorded in the 2016-2017 ski season and 4.4 million in the 2015-2016 ski season.

This past winter’s total matches the average for the last decade.

Ski Utah officials say a down year for snowfall contributed to the decrease. National Weather Service figures show Utah snowfall was only 60 percent of its average this past winter.

Nationwide, skier visits were down by about 3 percent this year.

The industry association says ski season visitor spending didn’t decrease as sharply thanks to out-of-town skiers spending more.