Low Snowfall Caused Vail Resorts’ Ski Visitation To Dip 20% Amid Slow Start to the Western Season

Visitation to Vail Resort’s collection of North American ski areas has dropped 20% compared to last season so far, the company said in an investor update. 

Vail Resort's decline in lift ticket revenue, including applicable season pass revenue, was smaller, at 1.8%. The company also saw 14.9% drop in school revenue. Dining revenue fell 15.9%. 

Rob Katz, the company’s CEO, attributed the slowdown to a lack of snowfall, which, across the Western states, has limited terrain at some ski resorts.

The 2026 POWDER Photo Annual is here! Look for a print copy on a newsstand near you, or click here to have a copy shipped directly to your front door.

“We experienced one of the worst early season snowfalls in the western U.S. in over 30 years,” Katz said in a statement, adding that totals were approximately 50% below the historical 30-year average. 

“In the Rockies, snowfall was down nearly 60% versus the historical 30-year average, resulting in approximately 11% of terrain being opened in December,” Katz added.

Inside and outside of Vail Resort’s portfolio, that impact has been wide-ranging, even as a few regions have finally tallied some impressive storms. Many mountains delayed their opening dates during the early season. In an update published on January 8, the National Integrated Drought Information System said that every major river basin in the West experienced near-record or record warmth through December 2025. That reduced snow accumulation.

Still, there were some brighter spots for Vail Resorts.

Katz noted that conditions in Lake Tahoe, California, and at Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia, improved during the holidays, allowing Vail Resorts to open more of its slopes in those locations.

The Northeast, too, hasn’t seen the same snow drought as the West. Jay Peak, Vermont, for instance, has already surpassed 250 inches of seasonal snowfall, according to its snow report. While Vail Resorts doesn’t own Jay Peak, it operates other ski resorts in the region, like Okemo and Stowe, Vermont.

“Early season conditions at our eastern U.S. ski areas were strong, which provided a partial offset to the broader weather headwinds and highlights the benefit of our geographically diverse network of resorts,” Katz said. 

In the past, company leaders have nodded to the advantage of Vail Resort’s broad portfolio. If you’re in the East, the West, and have a footprint abroad, at least one of those areas will have snow during any given season, hopefully.

Related: Mike Hattrup Still Isn't Tired of Talking About Skiing