Sun Peaks Resort, BC, is First Canadian Ski Area to Employ Snow Farming and Storage Technique

Sun Peaks Resort in British Columbia, Canada, is the nation’s first ski area to utilize a snow farming and storage system. Developed by Snow Secure, the system works by collecting snow in massive piles and then covering them with Snow Secure’s insulated mat technology. The goal is to preserve the snow through the summer and into the fall when ski area operations can distribute the snow across the mountain. The announcement came from a May 13 Sun Peaks Resort press release.

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In April, the project began by covering the enormous pile of snow located on the Österreichischer Skiverband (OSV) ski run with Snow Secure mats. The snow storage, when covered, had a volume of almost 495,000 cubic feet and stretched 300 feet in length. A real-time monitoring system will be utilized to track snow storage.

Snow preservation comes at a cost, $180,000 CAD ($130,990 USD) to be exact. That price is for 18 mats designed to retain 75-80% of the snow storage. According to Snow Secure, continuously storing a snow pile in the same location can significantly improve the retention rate. It is estimated that Sun Peaks will save 1.5 million gallons of snowmaking water.

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This strategic move by Sun Peaks should give the mountain a jump-start in early-season alpine ski training. The plan is to spread the snow on the OSV run to prepare for the early opening of the Nancy Green International Race Centre. Tim Foster, the Chief of Mountain Operations for Sun Peaks Resort, emphasized the importance of the project:

“We’re proud to be the first ski resort in Canada to adopt this proven technology and to be able to provide a reliable and resilient training facility for young athletes from around the world.”

The snow storage and preservation project is just one piece of the significant investment made into the snowmaking system. Along with the Snow Secure technology, new and more efficient snow guns, onboard weather monitoring stations, and additional upgrades to in-ground infrastructure will be implemented. Read the Sun Peaks Resort press release for more information.