Colorado's ski areas took a hit in January and February compared with a year ago, but crowds of skiers and snowboarders in the first part of the season kept the industry on pace to match last year's strong showing.

Stormy weather hurt business, mostly at resorts catering to Front Range residents, according to the trade group for the state's 26 ski areas.

"There was challenging travel to the mountains on the weekends this season," Colorado Ski Country USA President Rob Perl- man said.

Overall, the industry drew 5.2 million skiers in January and February, a decrease of almost 1.7 percent from the first two months of 2006.

The hardest hit: nearby "destination resorts" of Copper Mountain, Winter Park, Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone. Together that category saw a 3.2 percent drop to 3.04 million from 3.1 million a year before.

Highway closures, snowfall and strong winds coincided with key travel times such as the start of Presidents Day weekend.

"We had some wind events at Winter Park that were unprecedented," resort spokesman Matt Sugar said.

"The Front Range skier didn't have the opportunity to get up here because of those weather challenges."

On the upside, the more remote destination resorts such as Aspen and Telluride reported a roughly 1.4 percent increase in visits during the January-February season.

The segment includes such venues as Aspen, Telluride and Steamboat, which tend to attract more overnight vacationers and fewer Front Range skiers.

The Gems, smaller ski areas such as Loveland, Eldora, Powderhorn and Monarch, reported 473,114 visits in January and February, a decline of 2.3 percent from last year.

A record-setting start to the ski season and the potential for a strong finish could still add up to a new year-end benchmark, the group said.

Ski areas hosted a record number of skiers in the first part of the season ended Dec. 31. Collectively, the state drew almost 3.29 million skiers during that period, an increase of 6.74 percent from last year.

Through the end of February, overall visits are running about 120,000 ahead of last year's. The industry set a record last year with 12.53 million skier visits.

The skier visit remains a key measure of the industry's health. A single visit typically generates an average of about $70 in revenue, half of which goes toward the lift ticket and the other half divided among such extras as food, lessons, rentals and parking.

The so-called destination skier spends roughly three times that amount.

kelleyj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5068