New Hampshire ski areas smiling following busy holiday period

Gunstock had a ribbon-cutting ceremony Dec. 26 to celebrate Hot Shot's opening because of snowmaking upgrades. (Gunstock Mountain)

A white Christmas for most of New England produced solid returns for New Hampshire ski resorts over the recent holiday break.

Ski New Hampshire reported that skier visits to the state’s downhill resorts were 13 percent higher than a year ago for the week of Christmas.

“A combination of natural snowfall, aggressive snowmaking efforts, and ideal temperatures for skiing resulted in solid visitation numbers for the week that included the Christmas holiday,” said Jessyca Keeler, president of Ski NH. “The storm that dropped up to eight inches of fresh snow two days before Christmas was a bonus, and with help from ski area groomers, trail conditions were in great shape.”

King Pine reported record-breaking business during the week, and according to Bretton Woods general manager Chris Ellms, the mountain set a revenue record on Saturday, Dec. 28.

The solid returns were not just limited to alpine areas, Jackson Ski Touring Foundation said that the recent holiday period was its busiest in the last three years.

The weather in 2023 saw heavy rain leading into the holiday week.

Rain and a spell of very warm temperatures could not be avoided, however, on Dec. 30, but visitation for the week that included New Year’s was still up 2 percent from the previous year.

It was a needed boost following a slow start to the season as warm temperatures and drought conditions hampered snowmaking efforts kept most areas closed until December.