Bloomfield, Colorado — If you’re wondering how Western U.S. ski resorts did during this past winter, it wasn’t pretty.
Today, Vail Resorts announced its 2025-26 season metrics through April 19th. The numbers are pretty brutal. Skier visits were down 14.9%, lift revenue tumbled 5.6%, ski school revenue dropped 12%, dining revenue fell 11.7%, and retail revenue decreased by 6.6% compared to the prior season (2024-25). Some of these metrics are slight improvements over their early-season totals, which were down 20% through January 4th. Vail Resorts’ skier visits in the Rockies were down 25% in what could be the worst winter ever for the Western U.S. ski industry.
Epic Pass sales for next season are also struggling. So far in 2026-27 pass sales, they’ve seen a moderate drop in units sold and a slight dip in pass revenue compared to the same time last year.
These 2025-26 numbers aren’t final, as some mountains were still open past April 19th. This includes Stowe Mountain Resort and Whistler Blackcomb. Breckenridge is considered closed for the season, but plans to reopen for one more day for park skiers and riders. These being the only remaining open mountains in the portfolio show how rough it was for the company. Typically, other mountains are open longer, such as Heavenly.
“The winter of 2025/2026 has been one of the most challenging winters in history across the western U.S., with record low snowfall and historically warm temperatures negatively impacting visitation and spending throughout the season,” said Rob Katz, the CEO of Vail Resorts. “March conditions saw a continuation of low snowfall and warmer temperatures well outside of historical norms, leading to weaker late-season visitation and earlier than planned closures for many resorts across the western U.S.
As we previously highlighted heading into March, these dynamics increased variability and resulted in visitation declines for both destination and local guests with the largest impact in the Rockies, where visitation declined 25%. As a result of these persistently challenging conditions, we now expect Resort Reported EBITDA for fiscal 2026 to be at or around the low end of the guidance range issued on March 9, 2026.”
Vail did see some positives from the Midwest and Northeast, both of which had a nice ski season. Their My Epic Friends ticket launch also helped bring in new guests.
While some will simply look at these metrics and laugh at Vail’s woes, the reality is that various ski resorts outside its empire also struggled. Brundage Mountain reported that its skier visits were down approximately 15%. At Whitefish Mountain Resort, visits dropped by approximately 8%, although it was still their fifth-busiest winter ever.
Overall, this winter was tough for many out West, and it may take the U.S. ski industry years to regain some consumers’ confidence.
Image/Video Credits: Vail Resorts
