Snowbird improves snowmaking

Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort has upgraded its snowmaking capabilities to ensure top-to-bottom snow coverage on selected ski terrain.

Snowbird continues to improve its snowmaking program, spending more than $1 million on enhancements during the off season for the upcoming winter.

The upgrade, an extension of an already-existing system, has been constructed in the Peruvian Gulch area of the resort. This improvement will also affect the entire snowmaking operation.

Snowbird tested the snowmaking process for the first time on Wednesday.

“Everything seems to be working well,” said Andy Burton, director of snowmaking at Snowbird. “We had ideal snowmaking conditions this morning, it was good to get everything working and get familiar with the system before we open to the public.”

Snowbird is scheduled to open to the public on Nov.17.

The Snowbird snowmaking system consists of three pods: Mineral Basin, Gad Valley and the Peruvian Gulch.

Before the extension of the Peruvian Gulch area, only one pod could operate at a time. The new expansion involved the purchase of new, more powerful pumps, replacing older units in the snowmaking pods.

With the addition of new pumps, Snowbird can now operate each of the three pods simultaneously.

“The new pumps and addition to the Peruvian area were essential to Snowbird,” said Bob Bonar, the resorts general manager. “What we have done with this construction has made it possible to open a majority of our terrain with man-made snow.”

In the snowmaking process, stored water is pumped into a snowmaking machine or snow gun. The machine breaks water into smaller particles, which allows the water to freeze faster. The gun then discharges the particles into the air, where they turn to snow in the correct conditions.

Snowmaking requires an abundant source of water. Snowbird has access to 25 million gallons stored in the Wasatch Drain Tunnel.

The 2011-2012-winter season prompted Snowbird to upgrade its snowmaking technique.

The resort received 383 combined inches of snow, the least amount in its 41-year history.

“This past season was difficult, especially early season,” said Peter Schory, winter operations director. “Now with this new system, we should be able to be more confident with the product we are presenting to our guests who ski here.”

Making snow involves a delicate balance of weather elements.

“To make snow you need to have very little wind, steady temperatures less than freezing and low humidity,” said Dave Hunter, a veteran snowmaking expert with 30 years of experience at resorts across the western United States. “If one of those elements is not aligned, there won’t be any snow made.”

With the expanding snowmaking system at Snowbird, the resort hopes to be able to manage the mountain better, especially in marginal snow seasons.

“In this industry there is a lot more we can’t control than we can control,” Hunter said. “Having an exceptional snowmaking program will distance yourself from other resorts who don’t.”

The latest weather reports from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predict a strong cold front to affect the western United States in the coming week.

“Hopefully Mother Nature delivers this season and we can keep our snowmaking at a minimum,” Bonar said. “But just in case, it’s nice to have the new system for our guests.”