"The concept of snow farming is simple: pile up as much snow as possible at the end of the season, find a way of keeping as much snow as possible from melting during the summer, uncover whatever remains when the air crisps and the leaves begin to change color, and hopefully, fire up the chairlifts."
"A 2015-2017 survey of nordic and alpine ski areas in Europe by the Swiss Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research found that 45% of the 98 respondents use snow storage in some way, and another 51% of those not yet storing snow were considering starting."
"Key decisions around snow storage include where to put the giant pile of snow - preferably somewhere shady - what to cover it with, usually some combination of sawdust, woodchips, styrofoam, and fabrics; and perhaps most crucially, when to uncover the pile of snow in the winter."
"Though simple in concept, snow storage clearly has a learning curve, with 80% of the ski areas in the survey who currently store snow saying they saw room for improvement."
As natural snowfall declines, ski areas in North America are turning to snowmaking, which requires cold temperatures. Unseasonably warm weather has hindered terrain openings. Snow farming, which involves storing snow from the previous season, is gaining traction as an alternative. This method reduces energy and water consumption and is already used in Europe. A survey revealed that 45% of European ski areas utilize snow storage, with many others considering it. Key factors include snow pile location, insulation materials, and timing for uncovering the snow, with significant volume losses noted over summer.
Read at SnowBrains
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