On October 15, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) updated its 3-month El Nino prediction, stating that overall, there is an approximately 95% chance that El Niño will continue through the Northern Hemisphere for winter 2015-16. SIA Research Director Kelly Davis said that these conditions point toward increased sales and participation for the upcoming season. “The last strong El Niño winter happened in 2010/2011, a season that brought record sales and a record number of resort visits. In fact, the 2010/2011 season was often described as Epic,” she said.
NOAA also states that this is one of the strongest El Ninos on record, and may help to lessen the drought in the Sierras with more than 500 inches of snow, bring colder than average temperatures to the Southern half and warmer than average temperatures to the Northern half of the U.S., and result in heavier than average snowfall in Mid-Atlantic states. See the slides below from the SIA Intelligence Report:
If these predictions hold true, then we’re off and running for a replay of 2010/11, but of course, all we can do at this point is cross our fingers and pray for snow. To see NOAA’s 3-month predictions for the entire US, as well as some great state by state predictions, go to CPC/IRI consensus forecast.
This information is part of the SIA Intelligence Report, the most comprehensive report on snow sports sales, participation, and overall trends. It offers a behind-the-scenes look at the most recent snow sports season, including how much was bought, which sports are growing, how many people participated, and a look at what it means for the future of snow sports in America and beyond.
Check out the Descriptive Summary for an overview of the Intelligence Report. To get all of the information contained in the SIA Intelligence Report, and to request your copy, contact SIA Research Director Kelly Davis at [email protected]
