How European Resorts Are Stockpiling Snow

European and some North American resorts have begun stockpiling snow over the green season to reduce reliance on expensive snow cannons.

Stockpiling snow, or “snow farming”, is a process of gathering and saving snow under layers of insulation for later deployment at the beginning of the next season, ensuring resorts can open on time and that artificial snow creation is kept to a minimum.

The insulation can be natural, like wood chips, or made from synthetic materials and depending on the method used, melting loss between seasons can be kept as low as 13%.

Snow farming, used ahead of the 2014, 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics is not exactly new, but its use by private ski resorts is a relatively recent phenomenon.

The practice is mostly used at lower altitude resorts which have seen the most drastic reduction in snowfall levels due to climate change.

Niseko, a designated heavy snowfall area that experiences consistent “ocean-effect” snow through the confluence of moist air from the Sea of Japan and cold air from Siberia, does not stockpile snow or create it with snow machines.

Source:
CNN – 11 January 2024

Image:
Contraix

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