Would you want to be a snowmaker?

[marzNC]

While snowmaking was old news in the midwest and southeast by the 1960s, resorts in the Rockies didn't think it would be worth the capital investment until decades after the first commercial snowguns were available in the 1950s. Sun Valley was one of the first, partially because it turned out that the location picked in the early 1930s has plenty of sun during the winter but not that much snow on a regular basis. The installation of snowmaking infrastructure started at SV in 1972. By 1976, 75 acres had snowmaking.

For context, my home hill in northern VA had 100% snowmaking when it opened in 1972. By the late 1979s after an expansion to the current peak there was 73 acres, with two runs on the upper mountain. Cataloochee, near Asheville, NC, opened in 1961 with 100% snowmaking on 50 acres.

December 27, 2025

The Birth of "Snow Augmentation" at Sun Valley

While researching the 1976/77 drought year, I came across the article below in the Salt Lake Tribune describing the benefits of "Snow Augmen...

wasatchweatherweenies.blogspot.com

"
While researching the 1976/77 drought year, I came across the article below in the Salt Lake Tribune describing the benefits of "Snow Augmentation" at Sun Valley (click to enlarge).

Published in late December 1976 when Utah resorts were not operating due to a lack of snow, it describes initial use of artificial snowmaking at Sun Valley. Today, Sun Valley probably has one of the best snowmaking systems in the world. At that time, during the great snow drought of 1976/77, it enabled three runs to be open for the holidays. As described in the article,

"Ribbons of artificial snow from two to three feet deep have been shot by air compressor-activated snow guns up to two-thirds of the way up the mountain."

It goes on describe the artificial snow as "cube like crystals" with "a bit more density than nature's snow." I'm sure that sounds familiar to today's skiers. The system sounded pretty cutting edge for the time, pulling 1400 gallons a minute and putting down two acre-feet of snow in eight hours.
. . ."

 

[snoWYmonkey]

I hope snowmaking crews are paid even when they don't work? Instructors are not. Our guys had the month off until yesterday. Thankfully they were able to make snow on two runs at the base so the top with abundant snow connects to the bottom. This all happened in November and the base held on, barely through the warm month. Some resorts now have fully automated on and off switches and all of it controlled by computers that read thermometers, pretty amazing.

 

[marzNC]

I hope snowmaking crews are paid even when they don't work? Instructors are not. Our guys had the month off until yesterday. Thankfully they were able to make snow on two runs at the base so the top with abundant snow connects to the bottom. This all happened in November and the base held on, barely through the warm month. Some resorts now have fully automated on and off switches and all of it controlled by computers that read thermometers, pretty amazing.

I doubt very much that snowmaking teams are paid by the hour. At destination resorts in the Rockies, I know during early season there are a few experienced snowmakers who fly from New Zealand or Australia for a month or two. I doubt very much anyone would do that without getting paid well. Typically there hasn't been snowmaking in that region after mid-December. That could be changing though in order to build up the base between the winter holidays and mid-January during low snow winters.

Fair to say that ski resorts in the southeast, mid-Altantic, and northeast started investing in automated snowguns a decade or two ago. Don't know enough to say about the midwest. Although I know that Perfect North has an amazing snowmaking system and is constantly upgrading it.

 

[marzNC]

Alta posted an article about snowmaking describing the evolution of the snowmaking infrastructure being used starting October until Christmas.

Will be interesting if/when Alta decides to keep open the option of snowmaking in early January after the holiday period to build up a deeper base near the bases and lodges. I've been at Alta Lodge when the groomers were bringing up snow in order for guests to be able to ski down to the locker room after unloading at the top of the handle tow. Alta Ski Lifts is responsible for all the lifts that access the lodges, along with the access trail.

December 18, 2025

Snowmaking in a Changing Climate

As a business that depends on cold, snowy winters, snowmaking is a crucial part of Alta Ski Area's operations. This past summer, Alta took steps to reduce energy consumption and enhance efficiency in snowmaking by creating additional water storage along the Transfer Tow.

www.alta.com

" . . .
When temperatures drop, we use the opportunity to begin snowmaking. In recent years, Alta has made snowmaking efficiency a top priority, replacing outdated infrastructure with newer, smarter technology. By producing snow even when natural precipitation isn’t occurring, we can effectively store water in the form of snow. Utah’s snowpack accounts for approximately 95% of the state’s water supply, acting as a natural reservoir that slowly releases water during the dry, summer months.

Older snowmaking equipment has been gradually replaced with new lances and tower guns across the mountain. These newer tower guns can produce roughly twice as much snow using the same amount of energy compared to 25-year-old models. This improvement is captured by the Energy–Snow Ratio (ESR), measured in kilowatt-hours per cubic meter (kWh/m³).

ESR describes how much energy is required to produce one cubic meter of snow—the lower the value, the greater the efficiency. For example, in 2000, a fan gun achieved an ESR of 1.45 kWh/m³ at a wet-bulb temperature of –4°C. By contrast, a 2024 fan gun can operate at approximately 0.7 kWh/m³ under similar conditions, effectively producing twice as much snow with the same energy input.

Even with these efficiency gains, the number of days cold enough for snowmaking is declining. Between 1980 and 2018, the number of days with temperatures suitable for snowmaking across the state of Utah (–4°C, or –2°C with low humidity) dropped from 40 to 31. Alta's snowmaking season spans the last week of October through Christmas, providing 30 potential days of snowmaking. Unfortunately, this season has provided fewer than 15 snowmaking days. Climate models indicate this trend will continue under a “business-as-usual” emissions scenario, emphasizing the need for both adaptation and emissions reduction.
. . ."

 

[marzNC]

There seem to be far more articles about snowmaking for resorts in the west in recent months. Not much of a surprise given the lack of natural snowfall in Utah and Colorado.

May 7, 2025

5 Ways Utah Resorts Are Adapting to Climate Change

The impacts of climate are no longer distant warnings - they're showing up in real time across Utah's ski resorts.

www.skiutah.com

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1. SMARTER SNOWMAKING - DEER VALLEY RESORT & EAGLE POINT

Deer Valley Resort and Eagle Point are investing in next-generation snowmaking systems. Deer Valley is automating snow guns and integrating SnowSat technology to accurately measure snow depth and optimize snow placement. This reduces water and energy waste while improving coverage. Similarly, Eagle Point built a new snowmaking pond, added miles of pipeline, and installed snow guns to better cover south-facing terrain several years ago. These upgrades have improved snow coverage on their mountain and snow operations the past five years.
. . ."

December 11, 2025

Keystone was the first resort to open in North America this year. Snowmakers made that possible

Inside the process that got Keystone open despite a dry start to the ski season.

www.cpr.org

 

[marzNC]

Voting for the annual I AM A SNOWMAKER contest is happening through Feb. 2. Anyone can vote daily.

I Am a Snowmaker

The I AM a Snowmaker contest highlights the hard work, determination and camaraderie of snowmakers, and recognizes how critical the

www.saminfo.com

I've learned a lot over the years watching the videos made by the snowmaking teams. Videos from past years are available after voting ends.

Per usual, the finalists are a mix of large and small resorts from assorted regions of N. America.

Boyne Mountain, MI
Burke, VT
Killington, VT
Poley Mountain, New Brunswick, Canada
Seven Springs, PA
Steamboat, CO

 

[marzNC]

Finally getting the time to watch the I AM A SNOWMAKER videos for the 2026 finalists.

Poley Mountain in New Brunswick uses the traditional snowguns that must be turned on and off manually one at a time.

Boyne Mountain has been snowmaking since the 1950s. Everett Kircher invented a snowgun that became a standard. He opted to stick with operating ski resorts and sold the patent(s) to SMI. SMI is still based in Michigan. The video is from the point of view of a man who has been a snowmaker at Boyne Mountain for three seasons.

 

[marzNC]

HKD was founded by a man who helped build one of the resorts in western Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh into a 4-season resort over several decades, Herman K. Dupré. Seven Springs was bought by another Pittsburgh family in 2006, who in turn sold it (with Hidden Valley, Laurel Mountain) to Vail Resorts in 2021. HKD remains a family-owned company run by one of Herman's daughter and her husband. The HKD tower fan gun dates from the early 1990s and changed snowmaking immensely.

 

[marzNC]

Killington and Burke are both in Vermont. The snowmaking infrastructure at the two resorts is very different. However, the snowmaking teams are equally dedicated.

 

[marzNC]

A big difference between snowmaking in the Rockies compared to anywhere in the east is that the snowmaking teams have traditionally stopped making snow by mid-December. That may not be the case for the 2025-26 season given the lack of snowfall in November and December in Colorado, Utah, and other Rocky Mountain states. The introduction of snowguns in the Rockies is relatively new compared to regions such as the southeast or midwest, where ski areas/resorts have depended on 100% snowmaking coverage on cut trails to have a season that runs from December through March for over 50 years.

 

[marzNC]

The winner of the 2026 I AM A SNOWMAKER contest is Seven Springs. I imagine there is plenty of support from the locals who know that HKD was founded by the man who also made Severn Springs into a successful ski resort in western Pennsylvania. People who were interested could vote daily.

February 3, 2026

The 2026 I Am a Snowmaker Contest Winner

SAM Magazine—Killington, Vt., Feb. 3, 2026—Nearly 7,500 total votes were cast for the six competing snowmaking teams during the 13-day voting period of the

www.saminfo.com

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SAM Magazine—Killington, Vt., Feb. 3, 2026—Nearly 7,500 total votes were cast for the six competing snowmaking teams during the 13-day voting period of the 2026 I AM a Snowmaker contest, with Seven Springs, Pa., receiving the most votes to take home the title. Contest sponsor HKD Snowmakers president Charles Santry honored Seven Springs at the HTI dinner in the Killington Peak Lodge during the National Ski Areas Association Eastern Winter Conference on Tuesday, Feb. 3.

Each ski area in the contest created behind-the-scenes videos highlighting their snowmaking teams’ work, creativity, and camaraderie—with a new twist. The teams received a deck of cards featuring classic insights from HKD co-founder Herman K. Dupré and was tasked with incorporating those sayings into their videos. Voting concluded Monday, Feb. 2.

“All of this year’s videos conveyed what it truly means to be part of a snowmaking crew and a close-knit mountain community,” said Santry. “We are especially proud to recognize Seven Springs in Pennsylvania—the place where Herman K. Dupre invented the original HKD snowgun. His pioneering spirit and dedication to quality continue to shape the way snowmaking is done at the resort. Seven Springs still lives and operates by the values Herman established: innovation, hard work, and an unwavering commitment to creating the best possible winter experience.
. . ."

 

[marzNC]

Cascade Mountain in Wisconsin put together a great video overview of the snowmaking process. Unlike the short videos made for the annual I AM A SNOWMAKER contest, Cascade's video covers the process it takes to open the entire mountain at the beginning of the season. That includes the time, effort, and expertise required to groom out the snow whales created by well maintained snowguns. Cascade opened in late November 2025.

Posted February 23, 2026

 

[marzNC]

Pat's Peak won't be lacking in water for snowmaking in the near future. As with any major improvement in snowmaking infrastructure, the effort has taken years of planning.

March 3, 2026

Pats Peak Snowmaking Expansion Includes Multifold Increases to Pumping

SAM Magazine—Henniker, N.H., March 3, 2026—Pats Peak will undergo a significant expansion of its snowmaking system this summer that will allow the ski area

www.saminfo.com

"
SAM Magazine—Henniker, N.H., March 3, 2026—Pats Peak will undergo a significant expansion of its snowmaking system this summer that will allow the ski area to double the number of snow guns it can operate at once starting in winter 2026-27.

The project is headlined by a new 21-million-gallon snowmaking water reservoir that will be excavated near the summit, which will more than triple the current 6 million gallons of water storage at the ski area. Pats Peak general manager Kris Blomback said the current design doesn’t call for a liner because the soil composition will allow the reservoir to retain water. It will be filled by pumping water up the mountain from another pond as needed.

“The new reservoir is the centerpiece/keystone project for our master plan that has been underway for 20 years through Scott Barthold and his team at Snomatic Controls and Engineering,” Blomback told SAM.
. . ."

 

[marzNC]

These two videos were made by Joel Gratz when he worked for OnTheSnow (previous ownership) and before he co-founded OpenSnow. The basic principles and factors he covered in 2012 remain true almost fifteen years later. The difference is that far more ski areas/resorts in regions such as New England or the Rockies have come to depend far more on snowmaking to make sure slopes will be open by mid-December. Regions such as the midwest and southeast that have depended on 90%+ snowmaking coverage for over 60 years. The most successful resorts have continually invested in improving snowmaking infrastructure.

November 2012
Snow Science: Snowmaking Part 1 - Making Snow on the Mountain

November 2012
Snow Science: Snowmaking Part 2 - The Business of Snowmaking

 

[marzNC]

For some numbers, check out the major upgrade that Greek Peak is planning for next season. The original plan was to take four years. However, the owners decided to just do it all before the 2026-27 season starts. Total cost $3 million for a bigger pump, new snowmaking pipe, and lots more big semi-automated snowguns. That will mean a LOT more snow during short periods of time that are optimal for snowmaking.

March 23, 2026

https://www.syracuse.com/outdoors/2026/03/upstate-ny-ski-resort-invests-3m-to-increase-snowmaking-capabilties-for-2027-season.html

In the Catskills, the history of the ski industry has made it clear that snowmaking can make a big difference where people from NYC, NJ, eastern PA decide to go for ski weekends or day trips. Hunter used to be first-to-open and last-to-close when it was independently owned. Plattekill is completely independent and has improved snowmaking infrastructure slowly but surely. The snowmaking capacity of Belleayre is significantly better now than 10-15 years ago.

Greek is a farther drive from NYC/NJ, but is starting to attract people because of all the improvements in lifts and snowmaking in recent years. Joining the Indy Pass made some people curious who had never heard of it before. Greek was sold in a bankruptcy sale in 2013. The current owner took 100% ownership in late 2019. The long-term goal in the last couple decades was to make Greek into a sustainable business as a 4-season resort.

 

[marzNC]

Ever wonder what was done during low snow situations before snowmaking equipment was invented in the 1950s? In particular in New England where ski trails were cut starting in the 1920s and 1930s. Listen to the commentary in this video for stories. Note that the video in the background has little to do with the commentary.

May 2026