Whitefish Mountain confirms banner year for ski resorts

WINTERSPORTS — This year’s bounty of snow paid dividends to the region’s ski resorts , confirmed this week as by the likes of Whitefish Mountain Resort’s report of record visits.

The northwestern Montana resort says it had a season record of more than 346,000 skier visits in 2016-17.

The Flathead Beacon reported Monday the resort beat its previous record by about 1,000.

The resort had 407 inches (10.3 meters) of snow, the second-highest total in 20 years.

The resort closed for the season on Sunday.

During the offseason, the resort plans more than $2.6 million in improvements, including moving an unused chairlift and renovating a bar.

Work on moving the chairlift is underway.

The resort will open this summer for zip-line tours, mountain biking and chairlift rides.