Ski Resorts Report Above Average Bookings, Despite Modest Snowfall

<p>(Grace Hood/CPR News)</p>
<p>Skiers and snowboarders line up to take on the slopes at Arapahoe Basin. </p>
Photo: ABasin Skiiers
Skiers and snowboarders line up to take on the slopes at Arapahoe Basin.

Skier visits are up more than six percent over one year ago. That’s after heavy snow late last year, then not as much in the past two months.

"The snow kind of tapered off a little bit in January and February," said Jenn Rudolph of the trade group Colorado Ski Country USA. "But as our numbers show people kept skiing, and we are up compared to last year, which was a very good year."

March is typically Colorado’s snowiest month, but the mountains have not seen heavy snow in the past two weeks. Rudolph says resorts are still hoping for more snow for the rest of March and in April.

El Nino was expected to bring a lot of snow to Colorado this year.

"Working in the ski industry you can’t help but be an optimist, so we are clinging on to the idea that we still might see that moisture come through even if it is later in March or early April," Rudolph said.

Under the best conditions, ski season can last into the early summer.