This past winter was the busiest ski season in the state since 2011, according to Ski NH, a trade group representing resorts across the state.
Alpine ski areas in the state saw more than 2.28 million visits during the 2025-2026 season, according to data compiled by the group. This means this year had the third most visits in 20 years and a 5% increase compared to last year.
“It was cold and snowy and people came and skied,” said President of Ski NH, Jessyca Keeler.
Ski resorts have had to contend with less snow and warmer temperatures as climate change warms winters faster than other seasons in New Hampshire and most of the country.
But the three month period between December and February was the coldest since 2015, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The state climatologist Mary Stampone told NHPR in February that this winter felt like “what our winters are supposed to be like.”
Keeler credits these conditions with motivating people to hit the slopes, citing something people in the industry call “the backyard effect.”
“If you don't see snow in your backyard, you might not be thinking about skiing,” she said. But she said the wintery conditions across the region made many people want to ski.
“That really made a big difference in terms of the volumes of people that were coming,” she said.
Keeler also said key dates, including the holidays, weekends and school vacation weeks had good conditions, which also kept numbers strong.
