Record-Breaking Snow and Increased Visitor Spending Mark 2010-11 Ski Season

Once again, Utah proved it not only boasts the Greatest Snow on Earth, but plenty of it. Snow continued through Memorial Day weekend, and Utah had the most snowfall on record during the 2010-11 ski season. And the season isn’t over yet. With a 175-inch base Snowbird remains open on weekends through the July 4th holiday. As the last remaining ski area open, the Bird has reported over 760-inches for the season. This is truly remarkable given the average annual snowfall is an impressive 500-inches. Park City resorts had about 35 percent more snowfall this winter than in 2009-10.

Early and abundant snowfall brought a substantial increase in visitors this winter, demonstrating the continued health of the local economy, despite the national economy being slow to recover. Utah’s 14 ski areas saw 4.2 million skier days in 2010-11, making this season the second best ever. A skier day is counted for each person who visits a resort on a single day. The record was set four years ago, the winter prior to the recession. This season ended only about 50,000 skier days short of that, making the ski and hospitality industries quite confident about the future.

Consumer optimism was further demonstrated this winter by visitors increasing their spending on lodging, ski lessons, and dining.

The Sundance Film Festival also experienced a tremendous rebound this year, contributing $70.8 million to the local economy, up from $62.7 million in 2010. Many restaurants were sold out during the 10-day festival, hotels reached high occupancy levels, and merchants reported a healthy increase in sales. For more on Sundance’s economic impact, read the story in The Park Record.

The Park City  real estate market is seeing more activity thanks to continued attractive pricing and value. This is a great time to invest locally and Live the Park City Dream.

Info provide by the Park Record Newspaper in Park City.