Winter Park invests in efficient snowmaking as Colorado faces dry conditions ahead of ski season

Winter Park is preparing for ski season, using a network of 250 snow guns to build its early-season snow base. But in a dry year, the resort is also focused on making snow as efficiently as possible and managing every drop of water.

A cold snap last week gave crews an opportunity to fire up the resort's snowmaking system. While patches of manmade snow now cover parts of the mountain, much of the terrain remains bare as crews continue preparing lifts and other mountain operations for opening day.

When temperatures drop again, Winter Park will rely on its snowmaking system to help build a base across the mountain. The system can pump up to 6,000 gallons of water per minute. The water comes from the Denver Water system and is stored on the mountain as snow.

Bob Holme, Winter Park's director of mountain maintenance, says most of the water used to make snow eventually returns to the watershed. 

"Ultimately about 80% of the water we store on the mountain returns to the system," Holme said. "We feel great that we are actually providing a storage opportunity."

That water returns as snow melts in the spring. The remaining roughly 20% is lost through evaporation or sublimation.

Winter Park is also investing in technology designed to improve snowmaking efficiency, particularly when temperatures fluctuate.

The resort has invested about $750,000 in automated fan guns, Holme said. The equipment monitors conditions and turns on when temperatures and other factors are suitable for snowmaking, then shuts off as conditions warm. That helps the resort produce snow when conditions are right rather than waste resources when temperatures are too warm.

The automated guns can also distribute snow farther across wider runs, reducing the amount of work snowcats need to do to move and spread snow. That can help cut fuel use as well. "They cost a little bit more, but they're worth it," Holme said.

For now, Winter Park is waiting for the next cold stretch to make more snow while crews continue preparing the mountain for winter. The resort opened on Halloween last year, but this season's opening will come later. Additional cold weather and help from natural snowfall will be important as Winter Park works to build enough coverage for the start of ski season.