MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – With colder air moving in and the holidays upon us, you probably have the itch to start some of those winter activities like skiing or snowboarding. While we haven’t had a lot of natural snow, that doesn’t stop area ski hills from getting a head start on the season by making their own snow.
Evan Walz, Operations Manager at Cascade Mountain says “this time of year is always exciting for all of us whether it’s internally or the customers.”
While Wisconsin is known to have plenty of cold air in the winter months, we can’t always rely on mother nature for a deep snow pack. so, every year area ski resorts, like Cascade Mountain in Portage, have to make their own.
Matthew Vohs, General Manager at Cascade Mountain, says “a good night snowmaking we will do a few million gallons of water through the machines that we have here.”
So just how does cascade mountain turn this water into piles and piles of snow? The answer, snow machines and of course the perfect combination of atmospheric conditions.
“Essentially, we just need cold weather. enough cold weather to remove the energy out of the water to freeze it so the colder the water, the colder the air temperature.” Vohs said.
Snow is made by forcing water and pressurized air through a snow gun. the tiny water droplets are then blown into the air. as the droplets move through the air, they cool. this causes them to quickly freeze and form tiny ice pellets.
This process is called evaporative cooling, and is the same process that gives you that cold feeling when getting out of the pool on a warm summer day.
“The dryer there the colder air the better but even if the air is warm, we’re still able to make snow if we have dry air.” Vohs said.
Man made snow may look the same from far away but up-close it has a different structure since they are tiny balls of ice instead of flakes. It’s also denser and more compact, allowing it to melt slower and remain on the slopes longer.
“Midwest winters can be extremely unpredictable to say the least, so having the snow makers being able to run them efficiently and as often as possible and set us up for successful season.” Walz said.
Cascade Mountain has roughly 500 snow machines that are largely automated and controlled by a centralized system in their pump house.
“We try and keep an average of 36 inches. it’s kind of the goal that set up for a little bit of insurance policy if we do see some bad weather.” Vohs said.
Despite what mother nature may have planned for snow this winter, these machines will be ready to make snow anytime cold temperatures are around. providing optimal conditions for skiers and riders all season long.
Cascade Mountain says they can make enough snow to get terrain open with as few as 72 hours of continuous snowmaking with temperatures under 25 degrees. With the forecast through the weekend, they say keep an eye out for an opening announcement in early December!
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