File photo of skiers and riding the ski lift at Brighton Resort. Photo: Laura Seitz, Deseret News
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah ski resorts set a record for visitors this past winter thanks to heavy and consistent snowfall.
A news release Tuesday from Ski Utah shows the 5.1 million skier days marked a major rebound from the previous winter when the state registered 4.1 million during a down year for snowfall.
The industry association says this winter’s figure surpasses the record of nearly 4.6 million skier days set during the 2016-2017 ski season.
Utah’s big year mirrors a banner season for ski resorts around the country.
The National Ski Areas Association’s says the 59 million skier visits nationally are the fourth-most since 1978. The 24 million visits to ski resorts in the Rocky Mountain region that includes Utah and Colorado and other states were the most in that time span.