A real Game Changer
Snowmaking At Crystal
Investing in the future
$5 million invested to improve the guest experience.
Recently, we invested $5 million to expand and modernize our snowmaking system, including the addition of 29 new SMI SuperPuma snow guns and 5 V2 Viking wand guns. It is all part of Crystal’s continued commitment to improving the guest experience and building a more consistent early-season product when conditions allow.
Mother Nature still calls the shots around here, but expanded snowmaking gives us more control when temperatures and humidity line up. That means better opportunities to establish projected opening dates, strengthen coverage in thinner areas, and build a more reliable base across key terrain on the mountain.
Of course, snowmaking is not a cure-all for unfavorable conditions. The weather still has to cooperate. If temperatures or humidity levels are not ideal, the guns either produce very little snow or cannot run at all.
What makes the SMI SuperPuma system so impressive is the technology behind it. Much of our snowmaking operation is fully computerized. Once conditions reach optimal snowmaking temperatures and humidity, the system can automatically activate the guns and fine-tune each unit based on conditions at that exact location on the mountain.
The result is a faster, more efficient snowmaking process that allows our teams to respond quickly when winter windows open up. Under the right conditions, the entire automated system can be up and producing snow in less than an hour.
For real-time conditions, terrain updates, and live mountain views, visit the Mountain Report & Webcams page. rich-text, responsive-table
Mother Nature still calls the shots around here, but expanded snowmaking gives us more control when temperatures and humidity line up. That means better opportunities to establish projected opening dates, strengthen coverage in thinner areas, and build a more reliable base across key terrain on the mountain.
Of course, snowmaking is not a cure-all for unfavorable conditions. The weather still has to cooperate. If temperatures or humidity levels are not ideal, the guns either produce very little snow or cannot run at all.
What makes the SMI SuperPuma system so impressive is the technology behind it. Much of our snowmaking operation is fully computerized. Once conditions reach optimal snowmaking temperatures and humidity, the system can automatically activate the guns and fine-tune each unit based on conditions at that exact location on the mountain.
The result is a faster, more efficient snowmaking process that allows our teams to respond quickly when winter windows open up. Under the right conditions, the entire automated system can be up and producing snow in less than an hour.
For real-time conditions, terrain updates, and live mountain views, visit the Mountain Report & Webcams page. rich-text, responsive-table
The final touch in the snowmaking process is our staff! Our snowmakers and groomers are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to be on the mountain, taking advantage of ideal conditions the moment they arrive. They work all night to prepare the mountain for you to enjoy. Even when we don’t get to make snow on a certain night, the grooming staff will be hard at work all night to get the slopes looking good.
Machine-made snow is more durable than natural snow, and is actually better for getting a great snow base here at Crystal. Natural snowflakes have 6 arms, or dendrites that spread away from the flake’s core, and create the symmetrical crystals that make them so pretty-but also makes them so fragile! Machine-made snow, on the other hand, is a simple ball of snow-no arms to break off and get compacted down, thus being more durable for creating and maintaining a base. rich-text, responsive-table
Machine-made snow is more durable than natural snow, and is actually better for getting a great snow base here at Crystal. Natural snowflakes have 6 arms, or dendrites that spread away from the flake’s core, and create the symmetrical crystals that make them so pretty-but also makes them so fragile! Machine-made snow, on the other hand, is a simple ball of snow-no arms to break off and get compacted down, thus being more durable for creating and maintaining a base. rich-text, responsive-table
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The coverage area is roughly 30,000 square feet per gun. The total coverage by our current snowmaking system is 70 acres (roughly 53 football fields) and includes the Meadow, Quicksilver, Tinkerbell, Broadway and Upper Arwine’s.
With the right temperatures, between two to three feet of snow can be made with each gun in a 24-hour period.
Phases two and three include extending snowmaking up Queens Run to the top of the Forest Queen Express lift and up Lucky Shot to the summit, providing top-to-bottom coverage for all ability levels.
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SMI’s SmartSnow Automation & Control software is flexible and customizable, offering proven communication options, accurate weather measurement, supporting equipment and instrumentation, integrated auxiliary equipment, and service second to none.
The Puma snowmaker was designed to interface with automation and control software for optimum performance in any snowmaking weather, especially in marginal conditions. The Puma is equipped with an onboard aspirated weather station, air and water pressure monitoring, and automated flow control. The small flow steps deliver a smooth snowmaking curve, fine-tuning the water volume, air pressure, and nucleation to best suit the existing conditions. Each unit employs a convenient touch-screen panel at eye level for manual control, and the Puma can be configured to communicate with a central computer via hardwire or by radio, using either central or distributed intelligence.
In addition, operators can raise and lower the barrel or adjust the oscillation arc up to 359° on any number of machines from a central command station, delivering pinpoint control with minimal labor. The result is better snow distribution and reduced man-hours needed for grooming. rich-text, responsive-tablecarousel-component
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There are three vital ingredients in snowmaking: water, compressed air and proper outside temperature. Snowmaking can begin at 28 degrees if the humidity is low, but the quantity of snow produced in those conditions is minimal. At 26 degrees and lower, the snowmaking really starts to get going and one to several inches can be produced each hour. The colder the conditions get, the more snow the guns can turn out. The outside air temperature is a rough guide for determining when snowmaking can begin. As temperatures drop from the upper 20s, the snowmaking team will start using test towers to monitor the conditions. When the team determines that the time is right, they will start up the equipment and begin making snow. rich-text, responsive-tablecarousel-component
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Once the system has been fired up, it’s time to start making some snow! The process begins with the key ingredient: water. The water used for snowmaking is collected in a pond and is pumped through miles of underground piping. The water is then delivered through a frost-free hydrant to the snow gun, where it is combined with compressed air and shot out of the gun as snow. rich-text, responsive-tablecarousel-component
