Skiing in Utah has long been one of the largest economic drivers in the state, and thanks to large amounts of snowfall, this past winter has shattered records. Utah ski resorts saw a record 5.1 million skiers on the slopes and resorts reported the highest number of skier days ever, rising 12 percent from the previous record, set two years ago.
“This was one of our snowiest years on record, and it is no secret we have amazing snow here, and we do see a strong correlation between the amount of snow and the amount of visitors we get,” said Caitlin Furin, the director of communications for Ski Utah, an industry organization that promotes what they claim is the Greatest Snow on Earth.
If the spring continues to be cool and wet, Furin said, high altitude resorts like Snowbird may still have people on the slopes come Independence Day.
“It really depends on how June shapes up, but they are supposed to get another 12 inches this weekend, and pass that 700 inch mark which is amazing for them," she said.
While the resorts and state are enjoying the economic benefits from so many skiers, Furin said it leaves some problems to yet be solved. On multiple of the famed “powder days” this year, some skiers were trapped in standstill traffic for hours, and could not even leave the resorts until well after dark.
“We are all looking really closely at the issues we saw with traffic this year," Furin said. "We are very happy to have such a strong ski industry here in Utah and our resorts and local and state officials and everyone are committed to looking at how we can preserve that experience going forward.”
While the wet weather may prevent trails from drying for summer recreation, Furin says for skiers at least — “The stoke is very high.”
