Historic Snow Drought Hammers Vail Resorts with 20% Visitor Drop and Record Low Snowpack

Mother Nature just punched a hole in Vail Resorts’MTN

season. The ski operator reported a 20% drop in skier visits through Jan. 4 after snowfall ran ~50% below the 30-year average across its Western US resorts. Vail Mountain even set a grim record on Jan. 13, with just 4.4 inches of snow-water equivalent — the worst snowpack in that station’s 47-year history.

• Ski school revenue fell 14.9%, while dining sales dropped 15.9%, as the snow shortage dampened both local and destination guest spending patterns.
• CEO Rob Katz warned Resort Reported EBITDA will come in just below the low end of guidance, with more cuts possible if snow conditions in the Rockies don’t improve by President’s Day weekend.

Rocky climb ahead: Even with Katz calling it “one of the worst early-season snowfalls in the West in 30+ years,” Vail caught a break from its geographic diversification. Strong Eastern resorts helped offset the slump, while Tahoe and Whistler got holiday storms that reopened more terrain. Vail is also leaning on cloud seeding and heavy snowmaking to open more frontside runs, but the Back Bowls are still tracking toward one of their latest openings on record.