The 2022-23 season was another record-breaker for the ski industry

NSAA reported a 6.6. percent increase in skier visits for the 2022-23 season. (Getty Images)

Last winter was a record-breaking season for the ski industry, which reported 61 million skier visits over the course of 2021-22.

Well, that was nothing. 

The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) released preliminary numbers this week that reported a whopping 64.7 million skier visits over the course of the 2022-23 skiing and riding season, a 6.6 percent increase over the previous record campaign.  

NSAA divides the country into six regions. While both the Rocky Mountain and Pacific Northwest regions experienced record-high visitation this past season, the Southeast and Midwest reported decreases, due in large part to a lack of natural snow. Elsewhere, that wasn’t as much of an issue. Average snowfall at ski areas nationally totaled 224 inches, a 30 percent increase over the 10-year average of 173 inches. As a result, the average length of season was 116 days, an increase of six days over the previous season.

The Northeast and Pacific Southwest (third-best year on record) also saw increases in skier visits year-over-year.

A skier visit is recorded every time an individual uses a lift ticket or pass at a ski area. Although a handful of U.S. ski areas are still spinning their lifts (including Killington this weekend), the number is not expected to increase significantly. According to an NSAA release, “Two consecutive seasons of record visitation signals that the U.S. ski industry is healthy, and that the demand for outdoor recreation is strong…The number of operating ski areas also jumped from 473 last season to 481 this season, another positive indicator.” 

The growth in operating areas contributed only marginally to the overall increase, according to the NSAA.

It was the fourth straight season that passes surpassed day tickets in share of skier visits, signaling the continued strength of the multi-mountain pass. Season pass holders made up 50 percent of visits nationally, with day tickets claiming 33 percent of visits. Ski areas of all sizes, in all regions, saw an increase in number of season passes sold.

In other areas: Ski area capital investments totaled $812.4 million during the 2022-23 season, a record high for the industry. The majority of capital expenditures was invested into lift infrastructure, with 63 new and 86 upgraded lifts installed at ski areas across the country. Last season, the average ski area invested nearly $26 per skier visit back into its operation, a significant increase over the previous three-season average of $15, especially given the increase in overall skier visits. The ski industry is also gradually recovering from last season’s staffing challenges, with only 60 percent of ski areas reporting being understaffed, down from 81 percent last season.