Man-Made Snow At Coronet Peak

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29853, 20 June 1962, Page 13

Man-Made Snow At Coronet Peak

AT AN-MADE snow at Coronet Peak may prove over the years to be a real asset to one of the most popular commercial ski fields in the country.

In the middle of a fine weather area which experiences long periods of blue skies and bright sunshine, the peak does not usually have very heavy falls of snow—most of which are of about six inches of dry powder snow.

This is very similar to conditions in the eastern states of the United States, where snow-making machines have enabled ski resorts to be established in areas which do not normally hold natural snow for sufficient time.

Using makeshift equipment for experiments last year, the Mount Cook and Southern Lakes Tourist Company

showed that snow could be made. Already this year, with improved equipment, the company has been making snow on an area about twice the size of a football field. This covers the learners’ slope and to about the fourth pulley on the main tow line.

The principle of snowmaking is the spraying of water and compressed air under high pressure into the air so that the water vapour or mist will freeze and fall to the ground as snow. The only climatic requirement is frost and as little as four degrees is sufficient for the system to work.

Last week six inches of snow was made over 200 square yards in a single night. In making the snow, the relative air and water pressures determine the type of snow. Wet snow is required to build up a base on bare ground and dry powder snow for ski-ing. The equipment will be used to cover bare ground early in the season, after which it is probable that the natural falls of snow will take over. It can also be used to replenish snow cover towards the end of the season or to cover an area with a few inches of dry powder if the surface becomes’ too icy.

With suitable frost conditions, the snow-making will enable an earlier start for ski-ing in difficult years. In some years ski-ing can begin in May, but in some seasons the snow is late and there is, insufficient until July. If the snow-making this year lives up to expectations, the company will probably extend the area covered in successive seasons. Coronet Peak’s good weather and snow conditions are becoming more popular each year, and a larger tow is being installed about three-quarters of a mile north of the existing tows. This will' increase the tow capacity considerably and open up a lot of new terrain.

This will make five large tows at Coronet Peak with a capacity of more than 1500 skiers an hour. Tow charges will be 10s a day for any at the tows.