What Is Snow Farming? How One Ski Resort Saved Winter for Fall

It may seem early, but skiers and snowboarders have already hit the slopes in Colorado for some winter sports fun. While this part of the Rockies has picked up trace amounts of snow already this year, it is not the current weather that is providing the snowpack. Instead, it is an innovative practice known as snow farming. Here is a look at how this practice could replace snowmaking and give ski resorts a much-needed boost as global warming deepens.

Insulated Snow Covers Show Great Promise in Preserving Snow

The ski industry is being forced to adapt to a rapidly warming planet. Last year's snow season was sparse across much of the western U.S., resulting in many ski resorts having to close their doors early. The situation on the slopes did not improve, as places such as Colorado recorded their hottest summer on record.

So how have these winter sports enthusiasts already returned to the slopes? The answer lies in the leftover snow from last winter that was carefully preserved for almost five months so that it would be readily accessible once the temperature started to fall again.

The snow was kept cold and intact under enormous insulated blankets. The experiment has been so successful that Colorado's Aspen Snowmass resort area has already purchased more of the special blankets for next year. Now other resorts may be looking to Aspen as the guinea pig for what could be the saving grace for an industry grappling with climate change and the resulting strain on energy resources.

The process started last spring when crews at Aspen Snowmass gathered the leftover snow and put it all together in large piles at Snowmass and the nearby Buttermilk resort. The snow piles were covered by specially designed blankets engineered by a company called Snow Secure.

The covered snow was the equivalent of roughly 3.4 gallons of water across both resorts. According to Chris Miller of Aspen One, the parent company of Aspen Snowmass, drone measurements confirmed that about 85% of the original snow volume was still intact after nearly five months.

The blankets from the company from Finland faced a harsh test. Colorado saw one of its hottest summers in history, putting the experiment to the true test. Despite the record-breaking temperatures outside the blankets, the readings under the insulation were able to remain cold enough to prevent the snow from melting.

For instance, temperatures on the surface of the blankets hit nearly 118 degrees in direct sunlight between April 30 and August 31. However, according to Snow Secure's data, the temperatures under the blankets on top of the snow averaged just 33.6 degrees.

This preservation method is often referred to as snow farming. While the technique has seen success in Europe and in other ski resorts in North America, this is the first time that it has been used in Colorado.

Crews removed the blankets from the snow piles at Snowmass on October 1. There was about an acre of preserved snow measured at the Makaha Terrain Park. Resort officials invited skiers and snowboarders for two days of free skiing and riding on October 3 and 4. For context, this was weeks before the resort typically opens to visitors.

The blankets are still secured to the snow at Buttermilk. Officials at this resort hope to redistribute this snow later this fall in order to get a jump start on early-season operations.

Snow Farming the Future of Ski Resorts?

While this technique is still in the testing phases, many ski industry experts are hopeful that it will revolutionize how resorts approach snowmaking and preservation. Many resorts lean on expensive snowmaking machines to pad those snowpack levels early in the season and when conditions are dry.

Preserving leftover snow from the prior season would alleviate some of these demands, saving both money and precious energy. Miller believes that snow farming could reduce snowmaking hours as well as water consumption.

The blankets are engineered to last for at least 20 years. Aspen Snowmass has confirmed that it has ordered more with the hope of expanding the program to other resorts in its network.

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