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reporting ski area in 2015-16, up from 141 inches last season, declined in the three eastern regions and expanded in the
an increase of 21 percent (figure 3). three western regions.

Snowfall decreased substantially in two of the six Lessons
regions: the Northeast (73 inches, down 55 percent from
164 inches) and Southeast (49 inches, down 27 percent from Tracking the number of lessons as an indicator of current
66 inches). Ski areas in these two regions described pro- and future interest in snowsports is an important function of
longed periods of warm weather and little snowfall in their the Kottke survey. The NSAA Conversion Cup competition
comments about the season. highlights successful and innovative learn-to programs, and
Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month (LSSM) has been gain-
Average snowfall per reporting ski area was down ing traction with more and more ski areas participating.
slightly in the Midwest region, down 4 percent to 75 inches
in 2015-16 (from 78 inches in 2014-15). The other three Aggregate lessons given nationally declined by 1 percent
regions exhibited increases in natural snowfall from the sea- overall this season, while the number of visits at those same
son prior, with very strong increases seen in the Pacific 135 ski areas rose by 1.8 percent. Thus, the share of visits
Southwest (up 265 percent to 336 inches from only 92 that included a lesson (i.e., lesson participation rate) dipped
inches) and the Pacific Northwest (up 173 percent to 398 to 7.4 percent this season from 7.5 percent in 2014-15.
inches from 146 inches in 2014-15). As well, natural snowfall
rose in the Rocky Mountains (up 31 percent to 260 inches Lesson volumes were variable by geographic region,
from 198 inches). with absolute lesson volumes down in the eastern half of the
nation but up in the western half. The greatest decreases
The snowfall patterns, among other factors, impacted were seen in the Southeast (-34 percent), Northeast (-22.6
the number of days of operation per ski area. On an overall percent), and Midwest (-16.2 percent), while strong gains
national basis, US ski areas were open an average of 114 days were recorded in the Pacific Northwest (+115.4 percent),
this season, down from 119 days in 2014-15, a drop of 4 per- Pacific Southwest (+43.3 percent), and Rocky Mountains
cent (figure 4). The length of the operating winter season (+7.8 percent). It is noteworthy that the percent change in

Figure 3: Average Annual Snowfall by Region, 2012/13 to 2015/16; 25-season average

OVERALL NORTHEAST SOUTHEAST MIDWEST ROCKY PACIFIC PACIFIC
MOUNTAIN SOUTHWEST NORTHWEST

500 SNOWFALL INCHES
336
400 333

421
357

398

300 268 277
263 235
260

200 180 205
169 198

184 133 169
171 155
152
141 164 146

100 64 92
66
73
83
66
49

75
90
124

78
75

0

25-Season Average (91/92 - 15/16) 2012 | 2013 2013 | 2014 2014 | 2015 2015 | 2016

20 | NSAA JOURNAL | FALL 2016