Good snow, but not like last year

VAIL ” After last year’s prolific snowfall, this year’s snow might have seemed sub-par. But the snow was right on average at Vail and Beaver Creek mountains.

“Coming off a season like last year, you can’t even expect to compare to one of the best seasons we’ve had,” said MIchael Null of Eagle-Vail, who skied over 100 days this year.

Vail got 347 inches at mid-mountain this year, just below its historical average of 348 inches. Last year, Vail received 432 inches of snow.

Beaver Creek got 290 inches this year at mid-mountain compared to an average of 281 inches over the past five years.

Null said he had some great days toward the end of the year.

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“It was definitely not as good as some years in the past, but we definitely ended up strong,” he said.

Matt Carroll, general manager of Double Diamond Ski Shop, said April was a really good month for snow and for business.

“We started out really strong and ended reallly strong,” he said.

The tough times were January, when there was little snow, and the beginning part of March, when the weather was warm, Carroll said.

Last year’s snowfall at Vail and Beaver Creek was the best in nine seasons.

“Obviously you get spoiled a little bit,” Carroll said.

Eric Hill of East Vail said he felt like he kept waiting and waiting for the big snow, but it never quite came.

“I would say it was a little lacking,” he said. “It wasn’t spectacular. It was kind of the season that never got started.”

Hill had about 75 days at resorts and another 30-plus in the backcountry, he said.

He had some really good days at Vail in January, and even had a great day in October in the backcountry, he said.

Some periods of warm temperatures during the winter didn’t help the snow, he said.

“When it wasn’t snowing, it seemed to be very warm,” he said.

Staff Writer Edward Stoner can be reached at 748-2929 or estoner@vaildaily.com.