Snowmaking has only grown in importance at resorts across the globe as weather patterns vary and capacity needs change. Here in the Snowmaking Mountain Department, you'll find articles about efficiency, mountain ops management, software, team-building, pumps and compressors, snow planning, and much more. Plus, find job openings and opportunities to further your career.
SNOWMAKING ARTICLES
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July 2025Getting Trails Ready for Winter
It pays to do work during the summer so trails can open with less snow come winter. In the last decade or so, no aspect of mountain operations has been more completely transformed by new technology than snow management. LiDAR mapping combined with sophisticated grooming software has enabled groome It pays to do work during the summer so trails can open with less snow come winter.
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May 2025Adopting Automation
How two ski areas took the leap into automated snowmaking, and what the results have shown. In response to increasingly fickle snowmaking windows and rising energy and labor costs, Mountain Creek, N.J., and Giants Ridge, Minn., invested heavily to introduce automation to their snowmaking systems a How two ski areas took the leap into automated snowmaking, and what the results have shown.
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January 2025Skiing Double: Deer Valley East
An expansion of staggering scope, once dreamt of in the original plans for Deer Valley more than 50 years ago, is coming to life. In mid-November, crews at Utah’s Deer Valley Resort were working around the clock to complete “Phase 1A” of the ambitious Deer Valley East expansion. The plan wa An expansion of staggering scope, once dreamt of in the original plans for Deer Valley more than...
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November 2024Making Snow The Cross-Country Way
Low-snow winters have convinced some operators to embrace small snowmaking systems. When it comes to natural snow, the climate these days isn’t always forthcoming. It was especially stingy last winter in the Midwest, where states like Minnesota and Wisconsin saw almost no snow. This kind of di Low-snow winters have convinced some operators to embrace small snowmaking systems.
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July 2024The Future of All-Weather Snowmaking
The market is growing for all-weather “snowmaking boxes” as the technology continues to become more refined. When Ski Ward in central Massachusetts fired up its Latitude 90 all-weather snowmaking machine in earnest for the first time in October 2023, it was like Christmas in July. White flakes The market is growing for all-weather “snowmaking boxes” as the technology continues to become...
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May 2024Snowmaking's Secret Sauce
Prioritize your people to perfec the snowmaking process and product. Imagine this: You’re a snowmaker on a snowmaking gun run. It’s 2 a.m., and the wind is howling with snow swirling about. Visibility is 10 feet, and every step fights you. Sled guns are poking through the snow like miniature v Prioritize your people to perfec the snowmaking process and product.
View all snowmaking-related articles.
Nominations are now open for the 11th annual I AM a Snowmaker contest, sponsored by HKD Snowmakers. This year’s competition invites resorts to showcase their snowmaking teams through creative, behind-the-scenes videos—with a fun new twist. Each selected team will receive a deck of cards featuring words of wisdom from HKD co-founder Herman K. Dupré and be challenged to weave these sayings into their videos. The finished videos will be released and voted on in January 2026.
Nominations are now closed. Stay tuned for participating teams announcement. Learn more.
NEWS
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SAM Headline News
Early Turns and Snow Guns Signal Start of the 2025-26 Season
SAM Magazine—Shrewsbury, Mass., Oct. 22, 2025—The first turns of the 2025-26 season are in the books. Ski Ward in Massachusetts fired up its all-weather snowmaking system to allow for surface lift-served laps at its annual fall festival event this past weekend.Ski Ward Ward counts the event a SAM Magazine—Shrewsbury, Mass., Oct. 22, 2025—The first turns of the 2025-26 season are in the books. Ski Ward in Massachusetts fired up its...
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SAM Headline News
2026 I AM a Snowmaker Contest Nominations Now Open
SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Oct. 8, 2025—Nominations are now open for the 11th annual “I AM a Snowmaker” contest, hosted by SAM magazine and presented by HKD Snowmakers. The contest offers the opportunity for a handful of resorts to showcase their snowmaking teams and the work they do via cr SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Oct. 8, 2025—Nominations are now open for the 11th annual “I AM a Snowmaker” contest, hosted by SAMmagazine and...
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SAM Headline News
Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe Invests $6 Million in Tubing Center and Snowmaking for 2025-26 Season
SAM Magazine—Reno, Nev., Sept. 10, 2025—Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe has invested $6 million this season to add the new Wildslide Tahoe Tubing Center and expand its snowmaking systems.Courtesy of Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe The resort has targeted a Nov. 8 opening date for skiing and riding, weather permitting, an SAM Magazine—Reno, Nev., Sept. 10, 2025—Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe has invested $6 million this season to add the new Wildslide Tahoe Tubing Center and...
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SAM Headline News
The 2025 I Am a Snowmaker Contest Winner
SAM Magazine—Mount Snow, Vt., Feb. 4, 2025—Nearly 12,000 total votes were cast for the five competing snowmaking teams during the 14-day voting period of the 2025 I AM a Snowmaker contest. Contest sponsor HKD Snowmakers president Charles Santry revealed this year’s winner in the video below: SAM Magazine—Mount Snow, Vt., Feb. 4, 2025—Nearly 12,000 total votes were cast for the five competing snowmaking teams during the 14-day voting...
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SAM Headline News
2025 “I AM a Snowmaker” Voting is Now Open
SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Jan. 15, 2025—Online voting for the videos produced by five chosen resorts competing in the 2025 “I AM a Snowmaker” contest, sponsored by HKD Snowmakers, is now open. Voting ends Wednesday, Jan. 29, at 11:59 p.m. EST. Since it debuted in winter 2013-14, the a SAM Magazine—Natick, Mass., Jan. 15, 2025—Online voting for the videos produced by five chosen resorts competing in the 2025 “I AM a Snowmaker”...
PODSAM
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Struggling with staffing, motivating your team, or maintaining a positive outlook? Listen to our "Moving Mountain Operations Forward" Huddle on PodSAM, where we discuss burnout, staffing, and so much more. Organizational development expert Paul Thallner also chimes in with tips for managers to help keep their staff (and themselves) focused, happy, and productive. Check out all of our Huddle podcasts at saminfo.com/podSAM.
JOBS
- Look for jobs in snowmaking and mountain ops with resorts, suppliers, and other related businesses around the world. saminfo.com/classifieds
