Western Pa. ski resorts benefit from increased snowfall, popularity during pandemic

With snow continuing to fall across Western Pennsylvania, and much of the region having totals that are almost double that of previous years, ski resorts are seemingly reaping the benefits.

Natural snowfall, in combination with snow making, at Seven Springs, Hidden Valley and Laurel Mountain has allowed slopes and trails to remain open throughout the year, helping to make the resorts popular attractions this winter as people look for ways to safely get outside during the pandemic.

? 68 inches of natural snowfall so far this season! It’s currently snowing and there’s more on the way! ? Thank you Mother Nature! ❄️ SNOW REPORT: https://t.co/rw4pGi01Tx pic.twitter.com/GDpQIR0gRd

— Seven Springs (@7SpringsPA) February 18, 2021

“We have plenty of snow on the mountain from natural snowfall. But also our resort has state of the art snow making, so we’ve had all our slopes and trails open at all three resorts pretty much since early January, so that’s been good,” said Alex Moser, director of marketing for the resorts.

According to Moser, natural snowfall totals are at 68 inches at Seven Springs and 85 inches at Hidden Valley, both in Somerset County. Natural snowfall in Laurel Mountain, located in Westmoreland County, is at 73 inches, he said. Snowfalls at Boyce Park in Allegheny County are between 18 and 36 inches, according to its website.

The region so far this winter has recorded more inches of snow compared to previous years, with 52 inches of snow logged between Dec. 1 and Feb. 16, according to the National Weather Service. In an average year, about 25.6 inches of snow is recorded during that period.

Snowfall is expected to continue through Friday, with less than an inch slated for much of the region, according to the NWS.

Light snow accumulations are expected into tomorrow morning with the passage of a trough. pic.twitter.com/tPAafVpyC1

— NWS Pittsburgh (@NWSPittsburgh) February 18, 2021

“Where the natural snow really helps us is when it snows in the cities, like when it snows in Pittsburgh, Greensburg,” Moser said. “That helps us because when people see snow on the ground, thankfully they think of us. Also, with the pandemic, there’s not much else to do in the wintertime so we have been set up perfectly.”

According to Moser, lift tickets at both Seven Springs and Hidden Valley have been sold out on Friday and Saturday over the past six weeks.

With the popularity of the resorts this season, all three properties have capacity limits, meaning only a set amount of lift tickets are available for each session to ensure people are socially distanced. Restaurants are operating at 50% capacity and restrictions like having to purchase a meal with alcohol are enforced.

Similar measures are in effect at Boyce Park, where the lodge remains closed, including concessions and indoor restrooms. Food and drinks are prohibited and only 250 skiers are permitted per session, according to the park’s website.

Still, the site has seen an increase in usage so far this year, according to Kevin Evanto, chief marking officer for the county.

Between Jan. 20 and Feb. 17, almost 8,920 lift tickets were sold compared to 7,640 last year. That’s a nearly 17% increase in sales. Due to precautions taken that limit the number of tubing sessions per day, tickets sold decreased by about 1,400, or roughly 27%.

The increase in lift ticket sales this year is attributed to the pandemic rather than additional snowfall — “although the weather obviously doesn’t hurt,” Evanto said via email.

In the Laurel Highlands, Moser said he is hopeful the combination of natural snowfall and what is made at each resort will allow the facilities to remain open for much of March. The goal, he said, is to have people ski into April, depending on the weather.

“Spring skiing’s a lot of fun, temperatures are a little bit warmer,” Moser said. “I don’t think everything’s going to open up come March, next month, so I think it will be a good opportunity for families to get outside, do something healthy together.”