Tonight: Too Cold to Make Snow. Friday: ?????

thetrailboss · Dec 13, 2005

It is going to be way too cold tonight for many places to make snow, but we've really gotten a good start for the season.

Friday's storm up here was forecast to be all snow, but now WCAX is saying maybe a mix :x :angry: Let's hope not!

Any other discussion? I know there is a storm thread, but how have things been shaping up in your neck of the woods?

snowmaker4191 · Dec 13, 2005

to cold to make snow? you can only make more when it's cold. it costs alot less when it's so cold, more reasorts will be using they'er airless guns tonight.

thetrailboss · Dec 13, 2005

snowmaker4191 said:
to cold to make snow? you can only make more when it's cold. it costs alot less when it's so cold, more reasorts will be using they'er airless guns tonight.

Well, Cannon can tell you that it CAN get too cold to blow snow. In 2004 they froze some of their pipes all to he&* and it cost a pretty penny to fix them. Generally when it gets below zero, places have to be careful that lines are not freezing and what not. Sugarbush had an incident in 2004 as well up near Heaven's Gate.

snowmaker4191 · Dec 13, 2005

ya never thought of that happening

K2Trav · Dec 13, 2005

When it got really cold last year, Sugarloaf made snow on Haulback when it was 34 below, most areas shut em down at 20 below.

http://www.k2trav.com

GrizzlyFD · Dec 13, 2005

It depends on the flow through the snowmaking pipes as well as the pipe diameter and pipe depth (if it is below ground at all). The nozzles usually freeze up before the water in the hose, but as soon as this happens and the water becomes stationary it can very quickly become an expanding ice cube in the system.

We have this problem with fire hydrants and laying fire hose in the winter. Typically the fire hydrant/water supply is below the freeze line of the area, but hose on the surface will freeze quickly when water is not flowing through it.

LVNLARG · Dec 13, 2005

thetrailboss said:
It is going to be way too cold tonight for many places to make snow, but we've really gotten a good start for the season.

Friday's storm up here was forecast to be all snow, but now WCAX is saying maybe a mix :x :angry: Let's hope not!

Any other discussion? I know there is a storm thread, but how have things been shaping up in your neck of the woods?

It's not going to even be close to being too cold to make snow there unless a resort has a system held together by duct tape and tinfoil. It's just getting into damn good snowmking with no air cold. What's more there's no wind forcast = Premium snowmaking night. :blink:

Vortex · Dec 14, 2005

I bet there will be a few line and pipe probelems overnight, but the guns will be going like crazy.
Its cheaper and more water in the guns less air more snow and more guns able to go usually. A win, win.

AdironRider · Dec 14, 2005

Whiteface mustve kicked some serious ass snowmaking last night, opened up like 5 new trails including the summit.

ctenidae · Dec 14, 2005

It was 10 degrees in Boston when I woke up this morning.
I think it was snowing in my shower.

Rick Kane · Dec 14, 2005

it was about 15 in philly this morning and my pipes are already begining to freeze, i couldnt imagine what 20 below would do

roark · Dec 14, 2005

7 below in Keene (SW NH) at 7:30 AM.

dmc · Dec 14, 2005

Hunter hasnt stopped snowmaking...
Currently about -5f outside....

I think one big thing is... If it's too cold - it's too dangerous to make snow..

Vortex · Dec 14, 2005

Loon is blowing snow everywhere right know. -6 at the base. www.loonmtn.com

bvibert · Dec 14, 2005

Sundown was still going full steam with the snow making when I left at 10:30 last night. It wasn't below 0 yet, but it was single digits for sure...

catskills · Dec 14, 2005

David Slutsky from Hunter Mtn, who installs snowmaking in South America, said that a number of South American ski areas are so limited on water supply that they can not afford to blow out the water lines when they stop snowmaking on a trail. So what they do is place the snowmaking water pipe deep enough in the ground so the water does not freeze. That way they can conserve water. Most ski areas that I am familiar with here in the North East, blow out the water lines when they stop making snow on a trail because the pipe is either above ground or only a few feet down.

Tonight: Too Cold to Make Snow. Friday: ?????

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