Happy Lodge Ski Resorts tries to forecast monthly attendance. The management has noticed a direct relationship between the average monthly temperature and attendance.

a$.$ Given five months of average monthly temperatures and corresponding monthly attendance, compute a linear regression equation of the relationship between the two. $($Round your

answer to $2$ decimal places, e$.$g$.15\mathrm{.}25.$ For negative amounts use a negative sign preceding the number e$.$g$.-45.)$

Resort attendance $=$

$($average temperature$)$

If next month's average temperature is forecast to be $45$ degrees, use your linear regression equation to develop a forecast. $($To achieve this answer do not round your interim

calculations. Round your answer to $1$ decimal place, e$.$g$.25\mathrm{.}2.)$

Resort attendance

thousand attendees.

b$.$ Compute a correlation coefficient for the data and determine the strength of the linear relationship between average temperature and attendance. How good a predictor is

temperature for attendance? $($Round your answer to $2$ decimal places,e$.$g$.25\mathrm{.}22.)$

The correlation coefficient is

It indicates that the average temperature

predictor of resort attendance. $($Do not round your intermediate computations to answer this question.$)$