Utah Ski Areas Tally Record-Smashing Snow, Skier Visits

News Search

Push to The Latest: No

SAM Magazine—Salt Lake City, Utah, June 1, 2023—Utah’s 15 ski areas saw a record 7.1 million skier visits during the snowy 2022-23 winter season, beating the old record of 5.8 million in 2021-22 by a whopping 22 percent, according to the state’s ski area trade organization, Ski Utah. The number is unofficial as of now since Snowbird is reopening for Father’s Day Weekend, June 17-18, so those visits have yet to be tallied.

Historic snowfall that allowed resorts to open earlier and close later was likely the catalyst for the jump in visitation. “The 2022-2023 season had a fantastic start, with resorts opening earlier than originally anticipated due to an abundance of early snowfall,” said Ski Utah president Nathan Rafferty. “The snow just didn’t stop falling until May.”

Twelve out of the 15 resorts in Utah broke all-time snowfall records, including Alta Ski Area, which finished the season with 903” of snow, the most ever at a Utah ski area. Brighton, Snowbird, and Solitude all recorded more than 800” on the season. Cherry Peak’s total of 466” beat its previous record (287”) by more than 60 percent. Snowbasin received more snow this season (613”) than the previous two seasons combined.

In addition, several resorts had their longest seasons ever, including Solitude, Brian Head, Deer Valley, Nordic Valley, Park City Mountain, Snowbasin, and Brighton.

The successful winter season had a big economic impact. Ski and snowboard visitors spent $2.54 billion throughout the 2022-23 season, up 8 percent from last season’s $2.35 billion spend.