SAM Magazine—Henniker, N.H., March 3, 2026—
Pats Peak will undergo a significant expansion of its snowmaking system this summer that will allow the ski area to double the number of snow guns it can operate at once starting in winter 2026-27.
The project is headlined by a new 21-million-gallon snowmaking water reservoir that will be excavated near the summit, which will more than triple the current 6 million gallons of water storage at the ski area. Pats Peak general manager Kris Blomback said the current design doesn’t call for a liner because the soil composition will allow the reservoir to retain water. It will be filled by pumping water up the mountain from another pond as needed.
“The new reservoir is the centerpiece/keystone project for our master plan that has been underway for 20 years through Scott Barthold and his team at Snomatic Controls and Engineering,” Blomback told SAM.
A pump station has already been built at the reservoir site “with expansion capacity” in preparation for the additional water storage, said Blomback. Three vertical turbines will be added this summer and two more will come online ahead of winter 2027-28, combining to add 3,000 gallons per minute of pumping capacity, bringing total capacity to nearly 8,000 gallons per minute.
Inside the snowmaking pump station built for expansion capacity.To power everything, including the pump station and fan guns, a new 34 kVA electrical line to the summit will be added this summer. In all, these upgrades will allow Pats Peak to run up to 200 snow guns at one time, double the current capacity.
The rest of the snowmaking system has been gradually upgraded over the years to be ready for when the new reservoir comes online. “Piping, snow guns, hydrants—the mountain is all set,” said Blomback, adding that nearly every hydrant on the mountain has a fixed snow gun. The on-hill equipment includes 100 SMI and six HKD fan guns, and more than 300 HKD tower guns.
“This project allows us to open faster, operate more efficiently, and deliver the reliable snow conditions our guests count on, no matter what New England weather brings,” said Blomback.
