Snowbowl pass sales up

Despite the down economy, the Arizona Snowbowl is selling more season passes than last year.

David Smith, Sales and Marketing Director at Arizona Snowbowl, said they sold about 2,400 early season passes so far, a 45 percent increase compared to last year. "We had about the third best season for season pass sales," Smith said.

The exact reason for the increase isn't known but Smith has three possible explanations. First, last year’s strong ski season could be fueling optimism for this year's snow. Second, he says season ski passes are now being sold online. Finally, the economy could be causing people to ski in Arizona instead of traveling to other areas like Colorado or Utah.

Adult season passes are currently selling for $699 on the Arizona Snowbowl website.