More Snow Factories For Australian Ski Slopes
More Snow Factories For Australian Ski Slopes
Published : 06-May-2025 07:54
Australia's 2025 ski season is due to kick off in a month's time, on the country's King's Birthday long-weekend which this year begins on June 7th. Traditionally almost all Australian ski areas open that weekend, unless it has been cold and snowy enough for any to have opened early. In recent years though, more centres have been investing in all-weather snowmaking machines from companies including TechnoAlpin, alongside traditional snowmaking arsenals, to ensure their seasons start on time.
None more so than Mt Buller, which now has five of the machines, believed to be more than any other centre in the world. Two of them replaced with newer models for 2025.
The resort's head snowmaker Paul Richmond and his crew have already been testing out the resort's Snow Factories and with test piles of snow popping up on Bourke Street over the past month.
"We're getting the mobile factories into position and putting them through a series of tests so we'll soon be ready to build stockpiles of snow for our guests," said Paul.
The pre-season snowmaking plan involves striking a balance with enough time to build stockpiles using the factories and being efficient with the use of resources by making snow during a cooler weather window and to coincide with early natural snowfalls.
"Two of Mt Buller's mobile Snow Factories have been replaced with upgraded models this season and we've been working with the team at TechnoAlpin to make improvements and efficiencies so we can make more snow, as efficiently as possible," Paul explains, adding, "The all-weather Snow Factories are an important piece of the snowmaking puzzle and give Mt Buller a head-start on the season while we wait for Mother Nature to deliver and for the sub-zero temperatures needed to run our extensive network of over 290 snowmaking guns across the ski area."
Mt Buller led was the first ski resort in Australia to invest in a Snow Factory in 2017, but this year there are another two new machines installed at the small Corin Forest ski area. The centre says its aim is to remain a top choice for snow play and learning to ski or snowboard, even in the face of a changing climate.
The new Snow Factories will allow Corin Forest to produce 200m³ of flake ice per 24 hours—nearly 300% more than their existing all-weather snowmaker, nicknamed "The Yeti". The resort has already opened a snowplay area for 2025 with snow produced by the new machines.
Snow Factories complement fan gun technology used at Corin in the cooler months but do not rely on sub-zero temperatures to operate, allowing for more reliable cover and longer snow season.
Mt Buller has invested in two large SF220 snow factories and three mobile units over the past 7 years. These units can be deployed to boost the snow cover where it's needed including the resort's Chamois run, the toboggan parks and Northside beginner area at the top of Burnt Hut.
"I get asked all the time about how we make snow – there's no secret recipe. It's frozen water. But our Snow Factories make it possible to produce these unique icy particles, build up huge piles and groom them out across the runs when we're ready to welcome guests for a ski," Buller Ski Lifts General Manager Noel Landry adds.
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