Although visitation nationwide ended up strong last season, in some regions, it never completely recovered from the slow start. The snow was absolutely dismal in the early season, particularly in the Midwest, New England, Mid-Atlantic, Pacific Northwest, and northern Rockies. PNW and New England eventually caught up on snow totals, but the northern Rockies had low snowpack all season, and the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic had slow starts, uneven middles and early ends. Many resorts in these regions wound up well below their average visitation, though several of the areas we spoke with early this fall had done better than most.

Given all the many weather challenges last season, what’s the vibe heading into this season?

Gratitude: “We have the best passholders in the world,” said Jessi Wood, GM at Blacktail, Mont., which opened Jan. 13, its latest opening ever. “They were bummed we weren’t skiing as early as usual, but supported us. I’m stoked for the upcoming season. I feel the love, and am very grateful for our base.”

Appreciation: “We have the best snowmaking crew around,” said Tony Hickok, CMO at Mission Ridge, Wash., the first resort to open in Washington and Oregon last season. 

“Our infrastructure and the people to run it is what saved us,” echoed Ben Doornbos, GM at Nub’s Nob, Mich., which pulled out a 112-day season despite its warmest-ever winter.

And of course, the ultimate prerequisite for any ski resort operator:

Optimism: “We are feeling incredibly optimistic as we head into this season,” said Rachel Wyckoff, marketing director at Shawnee Mountain, Pa. “Living in the Mid-Atlantic region, we’ve learned to embrace the challenges of variable weather. We’re well-accustomed to shifts in winter conditions, and rather than seeing mild winters as a setback, they help us stay proactive.”

Snowmaking Was Key

Greek Peak. Last year’s weather challenges underscored just how critical snowmaking has become. Thanks to a $3.5 million, five-year capital improvement program, Greek Peak, N.Y., had a 111-day season that ran from November into April—down three days from the previous season, but up seven days from the prior year. The upgrades included expanded and more efficient snowmaking, upgraded lifts, expanded lighting, new trails, and a new rental fleet.

“Investments like these are significant, and they’re part of what has made Greek Peak a regional skiing destination for so many years,” said Wes Kryger, president. “Our focus continues to be on the mountain and the overall guest experience.”

Mission Ridge. Big snowmaking investments enabled Mission Ridge to hit its target opening date (the weekend after Thanksgiving) for the eleventh time in the last 12 years. 

“We’ve been leading the way in snowmaking since the ’70s,” Hickok said. “We’ve always loved it, understood its value, even at a time when many thought it was a bad word. We’re the only area in the state with top-to-bottom snowmaking. Regardless of the forecast, we start making snow November 1.”

Hickok said Mission Ridge has also greatly expanded its night skiing (“second most vertical night skiing in the country”), and is adding a couple of big pre-season concerts to help build enthusiasm for the upcoming season.

Nub’s Nob. Snowmaking also saved Nub’s Nob during what Doornbos called “the warmest winter in our history.”

“We have a big snowmaking operation, and were able to get Christmas in, thank goodness. Usually, we’re all open by Christmas. Last year, we were not even half. But once we got open, we were able to stay open 112 days, which is about average. Pulling out an average ‘time open’ was amazing. During that time, we lost significant amounts of snow. 

“When the tide goes out, you can tell who’s been skinny dipping—who’s been investing in snowmaking and who hasn’t. Snowmaking has always been the core of what we do.”

Over the summer, Nub’s Nob invested in even more guns and coverage, and added LED lights to its night skiing operation. “Coming off a winter where business is a little bit down, sometimes those capital things slow,” Doornbos said. “But we’re moving at the speed of cash.”

He said another big focus this coming winter will be the resort’s learn-to-ski program. Nub’s Nob was one of three finalists for the NSAA 2023-24 Conversion Cup. “We plan on expanding that program, and getting more first-time and lapsed skiers on the slopes. It will be a big focus for us this year.”

As usual, the target opening date will be Thanksgiving weekend, which Doornbos said Nub’s Nob hits about 70 percent of the time. 

Shawnee Mountain. Wyckoff said Shawnee also continues to make investments in its snowmaking system, which is now about 90 percent automated. “This allows us to start making snow quickly and run longer, even in marginal conditions, ensuring we’re always ready when the weather cooperates.”

Last season, Shawnee hit its target opening date, Thanksgiving weekend, and will aim for that again this season.

Wyckoff said one highlight from last year was the launch of Shawnee’s Mini Monster Mountain area. “It was a huge success,” she said. “This new play area at the base of the mountain gave families with young children a chance to experience playing in the snow,” which was especially nice for those who didn’t have snow in their own backyards, she added.

Magic Mountain. Vermont’s Magic Mountain has also invested heavily in snowmaking, and will open as soon as temperatures allow. Last season it was able to stay open until April 8.

“There’s no price increase this year,” said Geoff Hatheway, president. “No parking fees. We want to give everyone a break, even while our costs continue to skyrocket. We want to make skiing as affordable as possible.”

Waterville Valley. Waterville Valley, N.H., also skied into April last season, although it missed its target opening date of Thanksgiving. “The last couple of years, we’ve pushed back our opening to the first Saturday in December,” said Jamie Cobbett, marketing director.

Thanks to its base elevation at about 2,000 feet, Waterville can make snow on the upper mountain early, and last season invited the U.S. Snowboard Team to train at the area in early November, and plans to expand this pre-season business ahead of opening for the 2024-25 season. 

“This year we’ll be adding the men’s and women’s big air snowboard team,” Cobbett said. “We also have alpine and mogul training that we sell to clubs and academies in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, all prior to opening to the public.”

Blacktail. Without snowmaking and no help from Mother Nature last season, “It was a tough year,” admitted Wood. “Montana has a very tight ski community, and several areas offered skiing to our passholders” until Blacktail was able to open.

Although Blacktail had to put several summer projects on hold, Wood said the area was “ramping up to start on time”—usually the second or third week in December.

Demand Remains Strong

Despite last season’s weather challenges, resorts report demand remains strong going into 2024-25.

“We changed the way we sell our season pass, but it’s on par for where we expected sales to be,” Wood said. “We have a very loyal base.”

At Waterville Valley, Cobbett reported sales were down slightly in units, but up in revenue with another pass deadline approaching. “We won’t really know where we end up until after that,” he said.

At Greek Peak, marketing director Jon Spaulding said advance pass sales were actually pacing ahead of the previous year, “which isn’t usually the case after a low snowfall year.”

“We can point to the investments and upgrades that we have made over the past few years to our snowmaking infrastructure and ability to cover more terrain, more often, as part of the reason for this,” he added.

Hickok said season pass demand was strong at Mission Ridge, but he worries about the rest of the market. “Coming off last year, passholders had a great time. We got open early and stayed open until the end of April. Our season pass demand is as high as ever. Our pass sales are on par.

“I wish everybody else had a good season,” he continued. “The bad snow year affected people’s mindset. I feel people tuned out on the season. I’m hoping with the long-term forecast favorable, it will grab a lot of people’s interest in getting out on the mountain.”

Ditto at Nub’s Nob. “Demand is still strong,” Doornbos said. “Our skier visits number was not too bad. What we’re seeing in our season pass sales is people coming right back to skiing. They want to ski as badly as we want them to be here.”

Asked if the occasional-skiing public lost interest after last winter’s weather challenges, Doornbos said, “I think it will be OK. I don’t think the skiing population is dropping out of the sport. They’re just driving farther north.”

Hopefully, they won’t need to do that this winter.

“Weather is cyclical,” Wood noted. “And all signs are pointing to a great winter. I feel it in my bones. The Farmer’s Almanac is on our side. We’re feeling good and ready to hit the ground running. We’re all gearing up for a really great winter.”