Visits to Colorado’s ski resorts during an abysmally-dry winter were down nearly 24% compared to last year, according to new preliminary data from a statewide trade association.

The state saw about 10.5 million ski visitors during the 2025/2026 season, the Colorado Ski Country USA announced Thursday. It’s down from 13.8 million visitors in the previous year and 20% below both the five-year and 10-year average, the association said.

Colorado Ski Country collects visitation numbers from the 21 member resorts in the trade association across Colorado and released the data during its 63rd annual meeting hosted in Denver. The low-snow year across the West was the largest factor in visit trends this year as the state’s snowpack was at a record low for most of the season.

Ski resorts were open an average of 129 days, down from the 20-year average of 144 days, according to Colorado Ski Country.

Visits were also down across all segments of the market: in-state, out-of-state and international. 

“Skier visits are an important metric, but they are far from the only measure of the health of our industry,” said Melanie Mills, president and CEO of Colorado Ski Country USA, in a news release.

Nationally, total ski visits in the U.S. fell by 9 million compared to the 2024/2025 season, down by 15%, according to data released from the National Ski Areas Association.

It was a tale of two stories. The Eastern U.S. recorded moderate growth due to early and consistent snowfall, according to the ski trade association based in Lakewood. But in the West, the NSAA said, visitation was comparable to other low snow years.

The lack of snow is going to have an economic effect on towns that rely on ski tourism and are also dealing with a slowdown from the post-pandemic outdoor recreation boom. 

Many mountain communities have seen their taxable sales drop in the first few months this year, with some towns like Vail having to adjust their budgets to accommodate the lack of snow and its lack of tourism dollars.

While the year saw steep declines in visitation, Colorado Ski Country said it was a good year for beginners to learn the slopes due to milder temperatures, groomed terrain that was more approachable and many more days with shorter lift lines.