SAM Magazine—Denver, March 16, 2015—Skier and snowboarder visits were up 3.7 percent for the first two months of 2015 among the 21 member ski areas of Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA). The gain in second period visitation boosted overall year-to-date results 1.9 percent ahead of last season, which was the best season on record for the state—12.6 million visits, including the members of CSCUSA along with Vail Resorts’ Colorado areas, which are not members of CSCUSA.

“At the start of the season we set a strong pace in visitation, and that pace continued through the second period, exceeding expectations given some bouts of unseasonable weather in January,” said Melanie Mills, president and CEO of CSCUSA.

She added that consistent snowstorms that swept the state in February helped raise snowpack along with visitation.

“Looking ahead we’re cautiously optimistic, especially since we still have a lot of ski season left. March and April are typically very snowy months in Colorado, and we’d be thrilled to see this pace continue,” Mills said.

Final visitation numbers for the full season will be revealed at CSCUSA’s 52nd Annual Meeting in June.