This year’s ski season has been a tale of two stories: the lack of snow in the Rockies and a boon in the East. Yet, even the brighter side of this year’s winter wasn’t enough to make up the hit across the Western U.S. The U.S. saw ski visits for the 2025/2026 winter season fall by 9 million compared to the previous year, according to preliminary data released Tuesday from the National Ski Areas Association. Last year, the ski season was the second busiest on record with 61.6 million visits. This year, it fell nearly 15% to 52.6 million. The Eastern U.S. recorded moderate growth due to early and consistent snowfall, according to the the ski trade association based in Lakewood, Colo. But in the West, the NSAA said visitation was comparable to other low snow years. “Few seasons demonstrate as clearly as this one how dependent our industry remains on regional weather patterns,” said NSAA President and CEO Michael Reitzell in a press release.…