Las Vegas, NV – Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort (LVSSR) has announced that its 2009-10 season will be extended by an additional week through next Sunday, May 2. Recently scheduled to close today, which by itself would have been a long spring season for the resort, the new closing date marks the longest season in the ski area’s 47-year history.nHistorically, LVSSR would close during the second week of April. During the extended season, three of the area’s four lifts will operate daily from 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Skier shuttle services will also operate under regular ski season hours. As added incentives, pass holders from any ski resort in the United States can present a valid 2009-10 season pass and I.D. to receive an adult all-day lift ticket for $25, a 50 percent discount. The resort’s Facebook fans will also receive discounted rates on all-day lift tickets.

This year’s El Niño weather pattern appears to have influenced the snowfall in the Southwest U.S. with many storms tracking across the region this winter. An early snowfall allowed the ski area to launch its current season on Wednesday, October 7, seven weeks earlier than its traditional Thanksgiving Day opening. Currently, the area reports a record late season snow base of 60 inches (its average closing week base is 24 inches). To date, the total annual snowfall for the area checks in at 216.5 inches, which is more than a four-foot increase over the 2008-09 season; the annual average is 120 inches.

“Perfect spring conditions, topped with great customer support are making this the mega season to remember,” says Brian Strait, the ski area’s General Manager.

Reflecting Strait’s comment, skier visits at Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort are up by 28 percent this year over the previous season’s numbers. Despite the highly publicized economic hardships both locally in Las Vegas and throughout Nevada, Craig Baldwin, LVSSR’s base operations manager says that the economy is as much of a reason for the resort’s success as is the plentiful snowfall.

“Our season pass sales came in right on target this year, which we feel speaks volumes about the Las Vegas community’s commitment to winter sports, especially given the current local economic climate,” said Baldwin, a native of the Las Vegas area who has been with the resort for 27 years. “People opted to forgo an out-of-state ski trip and instead stayed home and purchased a season pass. The early snowfall and our early opening generated a great deal of enthusiasm in the community that never slowed down. We were excited to be able to offer the community an extra week of skiing and snowboarding,” he added.

Baldwin also noted that the number of out of state skiers visiting LVSSR has been steadily increasing. This year, the states that generated the highest number of out of state skier visits are California, followed by Hawaii, Florida, and Texas.

“Typically, our out-of-state guests are in Las Vegas on business or to visit the Strip,” said Baldwin. “But they also want that high alpine experience, so they see LVSSR as a means to have both a big city and mountain vacation in one.”