South Lake Tahoe, CA – The seven ski and snowboard resorts that make up the Ski Lake Tahoe marketing consortium — Alpine Meadows, Heavenly, Kirkwood, Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe, Northstar-at-Tahoe, Sierra-at-Tahoe and Squaw Valley USA — credit a snowy winter with a 17 percent increase in skier visitation for the 2009-10 winter season.nWith some ski lifts operating from Halloween through the Fourth of July, skiers and snowboarders enjoyed an extended winter at Lake Tahoe with some resorts exceeding their average with over 600 inches of snow. Early season skiers enjoyed top-to-bottom skiing thanks to early season El Niño storm systems and supplemental snowmaking. The spring months included persistent, powerful storms that allowed some resorts to finish the season with mid-winter conditions and base depths well over 100 inches.

“The combination of reliable snow conditions coupled with unbeatable vacation deals and a totally unique, memorable winter experience has become the trademark of the Ski Lake Tahoe resorts,” said John Wagnon, president of Ski Lake Tahoe. “Factor in convenient, affordable air service and an endless variety of options both on and off the slopes, and it is easy to see why the Lake Tahoe region’s visitation numbers responded the way they did this season and remain consistently high year-in and year-out.”

While many airports have reduced service, Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RTIA) increased both the number of airlines and the number of flights into the Lake Tahoe area. Located less than an hour from the nearest slopes, RTIA has never experienced a closure due to snow and the discounted airfares and skier-friendly policy of its leading carrier Southwest Airlines draws travelers from around the nation.