This weather is hurting the majority of the ski business

drjeff · Feb 20, 2015

I know that it seems completely opposite of thought amongst so many on this board, BUT I know from rumblings of many industry friends I have from New England and the mid west, that all of this harsh cold and storms that seem to often fall on weekends and keep day trippers away, has kept crowds (and hence revenues) down this year. And while the snowsurfaces are generally very good and plentiful right now, the extreme weather is hurting revenues, and that ISN'T good for the industry as a whole!!

Today as I was having some apres beers, the fact that 3 of my usual bartenders were in street clothes and on the "customer" side of the bar with me since there wasn't the business volume to warrant them working on the Friday of Presidents week, speaks volumes!!!

We NEED some moderate weather, comfy temps weekends the rest of the season with BIG liftlines to keep the industry healthy!!!!

deadheadskier · Feb 20, 2015

I think it's just been so punishing in the South that the non-diehards don't want to do a thing on weekends except sleep. I doubt it's the temperatures as much as it's people worn out from normal 30 minute commutes on public transportation being 2 hours (if they even have public trans available), road commuting nearly twice as long as well. Combine that with worrying about your roof collapsing, burning massive snow days to stay home with the kids. Yeah, no one's leaving home from inside the 495 belt. They've given up on life until spring. :lol: whenever that might be.........

chuckstah · Feb 20, 2015

A Boston news report today on Wachusett said they are down 40% over the last three weeks coinciding with all the snow, just the opposite of what one would expect.
Link to broadcast Boston.cbslocal.com/2015/02/19/record-setting-snow-takes-toll-on-mass-ski-resorts/

deadheadskier · Feb 20, 2015

Guess there is such a thing as too much of a good thing here in the east.

Historically, ski areas tend to do real well with season pass sales the year following a big natural snow season. If the resorts can't make up for this lull at the register in March, hopefully they do well in off season pass sales.

steamboat1 · Feb 20, 2015

For me it's the temperature. I've been more than happy to be blacked out this week. NYC & western LI haven't been hit nearly as hard with snow as those further to the northeast. In fact I think our biggest storm was 8" & that was the 1st one. The 2nd we had freezing rain with next to no accumulation. The 3rd nothing again & maybe 3" the other day with the storm that passed to our south. Snow really hasn't been a problem by me.

Warp Daddy · Feb 20, 2015

The extended brutal windchills are the principle reason many stay home . NNY region has had 30-40 below zero windchills since the last weekend in January . I have NEVER seen that in the 50 yrs i have lived here. We typically get 4-5 days of it

yeggous · Feb 20, 2015

Warp Daddy said:
The extended brutal windchills are the principle reason many stay home . NNY region has had 30-40 below zero windchills since the last weekend in January . I have NEVER seen that in the 50 yrs i have lived here. We typically get 4-5 days of it

This is a big part. On Monday when most of NH was shut down due to wind I went to Bretton Woods. It was brutally cold and I got some pretty nice frostbite. The place was a ghost town too.

Sent from my iPad using AlpineZone mobile app

BenedictGomez · Feb 20, 2015

drjeff said:
I know that it seems completely opposite of thought amongst so many on this board, BUT I know from rumblings of many industry friends I have from New England and the mid west, that all of this harsh cold and storms that seem to often fall on weekends and keep day trippers away, has kept crowds (and hence revenues) down this year. And while the snowsurfaces are generally very good and plentiful right now, the extreme weather is hurting revenues, and that ISN'T good for the industry as a whole!!

That's why I asked you what I did recently about a certain property(40% of top-line revenue).

ss20 · Feb 20, 2015

I taught one kid President's day Saturday in the 8 hours I was at the mountain. One kid. Its snowed every weekend since MLK. This weekend that trend continues, with snow on Saturday. Sunday though, with sun and highs in the forties, will be mobbed.

BenedictGomez · Feb 20, 2015

As of the moment, next weekend looks very cold too.

Quietman · Feb 20, 2015

This year has really taken a hit on midnight madness at Crotched. No one wants to drive home at 3am on a snowy night, or ski at 1am when its zero or below. Right now its -1 at 10:30pm, and tomorrow night will be another snowy night. I may be there tomorrow afternoon/evening, but I live 10 miles away. Sometimes, too much snow and cold can be bad for the business, and as much as hardcores love it, they don't pay most of the bills. If the snow ends early enough, I agree that Sunday will be mobbed at most areas, and they need it to make up the lost presi day/weekend business big time!

wa-loaf · Feb 20, 2015

chuckstah said:
A Boston news report today on Wachusett said they are down 40% over the last three weeks coinciding with all the snow, just the opposite of what one would expect.
Link to broadcast Boston.cbslocal.com/2015/02/19/record-setting-snow-takes-toll-on-mass-ski-resorts/

There were no lifelines at Wachusett last night. Middle of vacation week. Not sure what the weekdays have been like. I did do my part for the mtn and went in early and had an extra beer ...

joshua segal · Feb 21, 2015

While I don't have access to insider stats, I can see with my eyes that the crowds have not been around on what are supposed to be the ski business's busiest times:

While the snow continues to be epic, the timing of the weather is a disaster for the eastern skiing areas:
- Christmas: Rain
- MLK: Sunday of the weekend lost to rain
- President's Day weekend: Roads were bad, snow was amazing, but people stayed away. With the exception of Feb. 18, the entire week featured wind and intense cold (Daytime highs in the teens).

I have a feeling that areas that are fiscally on the cusp of bankruptcy will join the "lost ski area" lists.

deadheadskier · Feb 21, 2015

When the car thermometer reads -8 in the morning and the plan is to go somewhere colder, it can be tough to motivate........but we do it.

VTKilarney · Feb 21, 2015

deadheadskier said:
When the car thermometer reads -8 in the morning and the plan is to go somewhere colder, it can be tough to motivate........but we do it.

But do the masses do it?

.

joshua segal · Feb 21, 2015

VTKilarney said:
But do the masses do it?

.

Bingo. And today is supposed to moderate to the 20s and should be a beautiful day. The destination resorts aren't hurt as much. Their guests, in most cases, have the skiing paid for already and just have to go for as long or short as they can stand. Same for season pass holders. But the over-the-counter retail customers at the day-trip areas, the fiscal bread-and-butter of the industry, are staying away in droves!

deadheadskier · Feb 21, 2015

VTKilarney said:
But do the masses do it?

.

The "masses" don't ski in general. They stay inside all winter and bitch about the cold and snow. Sucks to be them.

VTKilarney · Feb 21, 2015

deadheadskier said:
The "masses" don't ski in general. They stay inside all winter and bitch about the cold and snow. Sucks to be them.

I was talking about skiers.

.

KD7000 · Feb 21, 2015

I've missed at least two days out where I would have gone myself, but I'm not going to bring my kids out because the temperatures range from uncomfortable to downright dangerous.

deadheadskier · Feb 21, 2015

VTKilarney said:
I was talking about skiers.

.

The masses aren't diehards.

This weather is hurting the majority of the ski business

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