5 Signs the 2011/2012 Ski and Snowboard Season Was Among the Worst Ever

The local resorts have closed, but Mammoth Mountain is gearing up for a Memorial Day weekend of skiers and snowboarders in trunks and bikinis enjoying warm temps, a 12- to 36-inch base and spring conditions. More snow may fall Friday! But it will take more than a mammoth close to 2011/2012 to keep the season from being deemed a washout. Hopes were high for a killer year following a record-breaking 2010/2011 and mighty La Niña snowfall forecast. As the dust coating boards in your garage rafters indicate, the dumps never materialized. After the jump, five sets of dire numbers from those who track gear, lift ticket and clothing sales.

The snow sports market brought in $3.4 billion during the 2011/2012 season, $135 million less than the previous season. (Based on SnowSports Industries America and the Leisure Trends Group's RetailTRAK data collected in March from 1,200 retailers)

Skier/riders visits were down 17 percent across U.S. resorts this season, to 51 million lift-ticketholders on the slopes. (National Ski Areas Association)