Oregon ski area operators are reporting their best season ever, thanks to ample snow that came early and often.

Industry analysts predict that ski areas will count 1.83 million visitors this season, topping the previous all-time, single-season record of 1.66 million visits in 2001-2002. Projections, which reflect counts through Labor Day, include anticipated summer visitors for activities like scenic chairlift rides.

Scott Kaden, president of the Pacific Northwest Ski Areas Association, attributed the higher numbers to a ”perfect storm” of elements shaping the season.

”The strong, early start to the season made people accustomed to skiing early in the season and prepared to ski for the rest of the year,” he said.

Other factors included a boost from Winter Olympics coverage, strengthening state and national economies, and less-than-expected impact from rising gas prices.

Locally, the results were notable at Hoodoo ski area, which experienced a near-record 88,000 visitors this year.

Hoodoo President Chuck Shepard attributed some of the increase to the new Autobahn Tube Park, which contributed 16,000 of the visitors.

”We were very pleased with the season and feel that it’s an indicator of things to come,” he said.

Mt. Bachelor ski area officials were unavailable.

Shepard expects Hoodoo’s numbers to rise to 100,000 next season with more marketing targeting Central Oregon.

”This year, we reached our numbers with very little marketing,” he said. ”Next season, we’ll reinstate those efforts to attract more visitors from the Bend and Redmond areas.”

Despite the jump in visitors, Hoodoo didn’t make a profit because of recent capital improvements, Shepard said.

”That’s part of why fees are going to be higher next year,” he said. ”Our goals remain to charge as little as possible and remain attractive to families, but the net income has to be positive in the long term to survive.”

Elsewhere in the Northwest, Washington state ski areas project 2.13 million visits for 2005-06, just shy of the state’s all-time, single-season attendance record of 2.15 million visits set in 2001-02.