North Woodstock, NH – New Hampshire’s alpine and cross country ski areas enjoyed a successful 2010-11 winter season, hosting more than 2.6 million skier, snowboarder, and snowtubing visits, according to numbers released today by Ski New Hampshire.
Alpine ski areas recorded a total of 2,355,100 alpine skier and snowboarder visits, up 5.6% from the winter of 2009-10, making it the third best on record for skier visits in New Hampshire and just missing the state’s all-time record of 2,366,706 in 2007-08. New Hampshire’s numbers represent just over half of those reported Wednesday by neighboring Vermont.
Cross country areas also had a successful winter, hosting 167,161 visits, up 14.8% from the 2009-10 winter. Areas with snowtubing parks reported 118,448 snowtubing visits. This number is up 12.4% from the 2009-10 winter season.
Regions of New Hampshire saw varying amounts of early season snow, but everyone shared in plentiful snowfall as the crucial December holiday period began. This began a memorable stretch of snow conditions this past winter statewide. Snow fell regularly during midweek periods, improving conditions and allowing for roads to be clear for weekend skiers and riders. There were no lengthy thaws or significant rain storms, keeping the mountains in excellent condition. As in recent years, March presented less than ideal weather at times, but later in the month winter returned once again, keeping a deep base of snow for the spring season.
“This was the kind of winter New Hampshire skiers and riders dream of. We had numerous stretches with the snow as nice as anywhere in North America. Simply put, ski seasons like this one are fun for everyone involved,” noted Karl Stone, Ski NH’s marketing director.
Preliminary reports from the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) show the Northeast region (including the six New England states and New York State) up 4% from last season. New Hampshire compared favorably, with a 5.6% increase from the prior winter. The 2010-11 season was also 8.3% above the 10-year average for New Hampshire alpine skier and snowboarder visits.
New Hampshire businesses were also able to benefit from the successful winter. An economic impact study conducted during the record 2009-10 winter showed a total of $910 million dollars spent by guests visiting New Hampshire ski areas. Of that total, only 12% was spent directly at ski areas, with the remaining 88% spent on ski visit-related expenses such as lodging, restaurants, gas, tolls, retail, and other.
“Regardless of the year we’re fortunate to have guests that take pride in skiing and riding close to home in New England. We’re on a stretch of several winters where Mother Nature has cooperated and it’s fun to see our guests rewarded for their loyalty,” summarized Alice Pearce, Ski NH’s president.