Why ski resorts need snow machines

Automated snowmaking systems are a common resource for ski resorts around the world. Natural snowfall patterns have become unpredictable due to rising temperatures.

These machines maximise the production of snow when conditions allow. Afriski’s own machine is both top of the line and energy efficient.

Afriski Mountain Resort is an ‘all year, all mountain’ destination in the heart of the Drakensberg-Maluti Mountains, in Lesotho. It is one of two ski resorts in Southern Africa and attracts ten thousand visitors over the winter season each year.

‘The European Alpine ski season today is more than a month shorter than it was in the 1970s,’ remarks Graham Joyce, technical director at Afriski.

Producing snow is energy and water intensive and resorts are ‘turning to renewable energy and better weather prediction to improve efficiency,’ he explains.

Afriski Mountain Resort’s snow production due to favourable conditions. Image: Martin Schultz, HOD Slopes Snowmaking & Lifts

In the past Afriski has relied heavily on skilled snowmakers monitoring wind condition, temperature and humidity to inform which snowmaking equipment to use at different locations on the 1,500m of ski slopes.

Despite these efforts, the manual snowmaking system required water to be pumped into the snow making lines using 900kW of energy and a lag time of 30 minutes for the lines to be filled with water before snow could start to be produced.

‘Ideal snowmaking conditions of below -2,5°C wet bulb only last so long, and the time lost with the manual system resulted in significantly reduced snowmaking output,’ explains Joyce.

The dry bulb temperature refers to the ambient air temperature. It is called this because the air temperature is indicated by a thermometer not affected by the moisture of the air.

Wet bulb temperature can be measured by using a thermometer with the bulb wrapped in a wet cloth. The wet bulb temperature is always lower than the dry bulb temperature. Due to this we are able to make snow in temperatures of above zero.

This motivated Afriski to invest in an automated snowmaking system installed by overseas specialist MND Group. ‘Each piece of snowmaking equipment now comprises an automated weather station which optimises water and air flow ratio into the fan to maximise snow production based on accurate temperature readings,’ Joyce enthuses.

Coupled with the automated system, is the use of a newly built high-altitude dam above the resort to gravity feed water into the snowmaking lines.

When the temperature is right and -2,5°C wet bulb is recorded, the automated snow guns can start-up immediately and produce up to 400 tonnes of high-quality snow per hour.

Afriski Mountain Resort’s automated snowmaking system. Image: Martin Schultz, HOD Slopes Snowmaking & Lifts

‘A night of snowmaking could cover 1km of ski slope at a depth of 20cm,’ highlights Joyce. “In previous years, we were only able to utilise 40% of the available snowmaking hours due to the delay in start-up and temperature fluctuations during a night of snowmaking,’ he continues.

‘With the new automated snowmaking and gravity pumping system, we hope to increase snowmaking hours by 50% and double the volume of snow we can produce each winter.’

Water is pumped back up to the dam during off-peak times, resulting in 500kWhr of energy saving per hour of snowmaking during peak demand. Considering snow is produced approximately every third night during the winter ski season, this equates to a significant cost saving.

Snowmaking allows resorts to open their winter season on predetermined dates and is essential for operating a winter sports resort in Africa.

‘Snowmaking also benefits the local community in creating employment in the snowmaking division, and supporting businesses that supply the hospitality trade,’ Joyce concludes.

Afriski Mountain Resort’s automated snowmaking system. Image: Martin Schultz, HOD Slopes Snowmaking & Lifts

Getaway Magazine visited Afriski last year and this is what you could look forward to once we are able to travel again:

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