{"id":183752,"date":"2025-10-31T10:36:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-31T17:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=183752"},"modified":"2025-10-31T10:34:14","modified_gmt":"2025-10-31T17:34:14","slug":"artificial-snow-and-climate-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/news\/artificial-snow-and-climate-change","title":{"rendered":"Everything to Know about Machine-Made Snow (Just Don’t Call It Fake)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Editor’s note:<\/strong> This story was originally published on November 22, 2022.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The whooshing of your skis carving powdery pistes, the crisp mountain air filling your nostrils, the enchanting snow-laden landscapes all around\u2014for generations, this has been the stuff of winter-vacation fantasies. But the effects of climate change pose a significant problem for today\u2019s winter sports industry. Facing shorter ski seasons, warming temperatures and decreasing natural snowfall, ski resorts are increasingly reliant on artificial snowmaking operations to keep the slopes open and sustain their bottom lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As many as 95% of the world\u2019s ski resorts<\/a> now employ snowmaking, according to one recent study. And numerous media outlets were fixated on the topic during the 2022 Beijing Olympics, the first Winter Games to rely almost entirely on machine-made snow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While many winter sports enthusiasts feel that machine-made snow is better than no snow at all, it\u2019s important to consider the environmental costs of snowmaking. Environmentalists caution that the machines used in the process consume vast amounts of energy and water and can damage local ecosystems. Ironically, many snow machines are also powered by fossil fuels\u2014contributing to the very climate problem that has made them a necessity in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here, we investigate the ecological costs of machine-made snow and touch on what the broader issue of climate change means for the future of winter sports. Plus, we lay out actionable steps that individual travelers can take in order to plan more sustainable snowsports vacations, as annual winter snowfall in the U.S. has dropped by nearly 50%<\/a> since the 1970s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The History of Snowmaking<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Humans have been manufacturing snow since the 1930s<\/a>. By the 1970s, snowmaking technology became more widespread for sport use in the U.S., and by the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, artificial snow featured for the first time. Today, snowmaking machines are nearly ubiquitous at ski resorts, serving to produce machine-made snow in place of\u2014or as a supplement to\u2014natural snow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adrienne Saia Isaac, director of marketing and communications for the National Ski Areas Association<\/a>, a U.S.-based trade association for ski area owners and operators, explains that one of the benefits of snowmaking is the consistency in snow cover it affords. \u201cYou can control the type of surface you put down, so it creates a very durable surface for the season.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That consistency becomes a type of insurance policy, assuring ski resorts (and their customers) that they\u2019ll remain open throughout the winter. Oftentimes, the snow machines are used to extend ski seasons (and revenues<\/a>) into late autumn and early spring, including the lucrative fringe-season holiday periods that kick off at Thanksgiving and wind down at Easter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cProviding a consistent product, and a start and end to a season, is really important\u2014especially for rural communities who rely on winter tourism and recreation as part of their economy and their employment opportunities,\u201d Isaac explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo credit: Dustin Kingman<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Climate Crisis and Machine-Made Snow<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The changing climate, with rising temps that are thawing and shortening winters, means there are fewer worldwide ski resorts that can reliably offer winter sports in natural conditions. One study determined<\/a> that the U.S. ski season was reduced by more than a month (an average of 34 days) between 1982 and 2016; in Europe, the findings have been similar<\/a>. A separate Environmental Protection Agency\u2013funded report<\/a> projects that almost all U.S. ski areas should anticipate having at least a 50% shorter season by 2050.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drought conditions, which are also exacerbated by climate change, pose yet another potential barrier to the feasibility of water resource\u2013intensive snowmaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the snow cover\u2013reliant ski industry, that leaves some big questions on how to effectively adapt. Snowmaking is generally viewed as a Band-Aid solution to the larger climate problem, and it\u2019s also not without its own limitations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cClimate change is affecting not only natural snow, but it is affecting the snowmaking operation as well because without cold air and the right temps we can’t do it,\u201d says Isaac. \u201cIf you’re only getting 35-degree days, you can’t freeze water; 40-degree days, it doesn’t happen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Snow Is Machine-Made<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The recipe for machine-made snow calls for air, large amounts of water and suitably cold temperatures, as well as the heavily powered machinery and human snowmakers to manufacture it. Snowmaking attempts to mimic the conditions of natural snowfall, traditionally employing snow guns (aka snow cannons) which are positioned along the slopes. The machines then shoot small water droplets mixed with compressed air (sometimes enhanced by chemical or biological additives), which freeze in the cold air before the resulting product falls to the ground as snow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notably, while both natural and artificially made snow are essentially frozen water, manufactured snow is more of a densely packed pellet than a softer \u201cpowdery\u201d flake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur snowmaking equipment creates a snow particle similar to a graupel [pellet-shaped frozen precipitation], where natural snow comes in many different shapes and sizes,\u201d explains Brooke VanderKelen Alba, sales and marketing head for snowmaking company SMI Snow Makers<\/a>. It\u2019s a shape that, she says, \u201cmakes our snow more resilient to the thaw\/freeze cycles and allows for a more consistent snow quality across the slope.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Isaac emphasizes that the machine-produced snow itself is not \u201cfake,\u201d like you might see in the movies or in holiday displays, but rather a mixture of the natural resources of water and air. \u201cWhat you see coming out of snowmaking might be machine-made. It’s not made by Mother Nature. But it’s still very real.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Seen and Unseen Costs of Snowmaking<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Snowmaking is resource-intensive, requiring abundant water and energy\u2014factors that environmentalists warn can spawn negative ecological consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to one report<\/a>, it takes 200,000 gallons of water to cover an acre with a foot of snow, while ski areas are capable of converting 5,000 gallons of water<\/a> into snow per minute. Snowmaking advocates state that 80% of the water utilized returns to the watershed. Yet environmentalists have raised questions about diverting water resources during times of water scarcity, as well as the potential for altering natural water cycles and water table levels<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The enormous amount of power consumption required for snowmaking is another concern, with many resorts still reliant on carbon-spewing fossil fuels for power. Some estimates put snowmaking<\/a> behind two-thirds of a ski resort\u2019s energy needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other ecosystem concerns<\/a> have been raised around noise disturbances to local wildlife, and disruptions to vegetation and soil composition underneath the artificially made snowpack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond environmental concerns, numerous reports have indicated safety concerns for winter sports participants given the harder and faster surface of artificial snow, which may heighten the risk for injuries during falls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo credit: Ian Bondi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Future of Machine-Made Snow<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe risk is clear: man-made warming is threatening the long-term future of winter sports,” a recent study cautions<\/a>, adding that ski resorts\u2019 heavy reliance on artificial snow \u201ccould become the norm over time as our planet warms, starting with lower-altitude slopes and raising pressure and costs on higher resorts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Madeleine Orr, program director for Sustainable Sport Business at Loughborough University and co-author of that study, explains that lower-elevation resorts are generally lacking cold enough temperatures to naturally sustain a lengthy ski season. \u201cSo far, snowmaking has been the technology keeping it tenable, but that may not be sustainable by the second half of the century,\u201d she says.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indeed, if warming trends continue, snowmaking itself may no longer be possible at many existing ski destinations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Orr says, \u201cIf the days are just too warm, even artificial snowmaking is insufficient. You can power up all the snow guns you want, but if it’s not cold enough for the crystals to form, or if the snow melts once it touches the ground, you’ve got nothing to ski on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, Orr believes skiers will have to travel farther to access higher-elevation resorts, adding travel time and expense to the wintry mix. \u201cIn general, this might mean fewer people are able to ski toward the midcentury.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sustainable Strides in Snowmaking <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Many resorts are already embracing increasingly sustainable snowmaking solutions, including more efficient machinery and cleaner renewable power sources<\/a> like solar panels and wind turbines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are some great innovations happening in this space,\u201d says Orr. \u201cPowering the system through renewables, leveraging as much water capture and reuse as possible and designing systems that last 30, 40 years or longer, are all solutions being implemented across the industry right now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, some environmentalists say that snowmaking is merely an adaptation strategy, and its impact is negligible when it comes to the large-scale threat of climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe real issue is reducing emissions enough to slow warming, stabilize precipitation patterns and hold a more stable, consistent snowpack throughout winter,\u201d explains Torrey Udall, chief of staff at the nonprofit Protect Our Winters<\/a>. \u201cWe do that through systemic changes to the way that we make energy and move around in ways that produce zero, or at least significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Choose More Sustainable Snowsports Vacations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Experts say individual travelers can take steps to help ensure a cleaner, greener winter sports vacations\u2014like traveling at times when mountain conditions are more likely to be right for natural snowfall, or to destinations that don\u2019t require snow machines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGo when and where you don\u2019t need to rely on artificial snow,\u201d says Tim Williamson, customer director at U.K.-based travel company Responsible Travel<\/a>. \u201cSo go high altitude or go in midwinter. Avoid low-lying resorts and the shoulder season.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choosing ski resorts that embrace sustainability efforts in their operations<\/a> is another smart choice. (If your favorite resort isn\u2019t listed as a Sustainable Slopes endorser, consider recommending a sign-up to management.) Travelers can also make efforts to reduce their own carbon footprint while getting to their destination by forgoing planes for trains or electric vehicles, for instance, or carpooling or riding a bus or shuttle to the slopes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, experts say to use your voice: Contact resorts, tourist boards and, most importantly, legislators to express your concerns\u2014and, ultimately, make your voice heard through your choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou don’t have to be a scientist to be a climate advocate,\u201d says Isaac at the National Ski Areas Association, who believes the solutions must happen at the government level. \u201cIf you love skiing, protect it and protect the water sources and work with your elected officials to implement broadscale regulatory and legislative change.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe need every solution and everyone onboard in order to make sure that we have snowsports in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Editor’s note: This story was originally published on November 22, 2022. The whooshing of your skis carving powdery pistes, the crisp mountain air filling your nostrils, the enchanting snow-laden landscapes all around\u2014for generations, this has been the stuff of winter-vacation fantasies. But the effects of climate change pose a significant problem for today\u2019s winter sports […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30740,"featured_media":183760,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[685,11,637],"tags":[1983,795,59,473,472,364],"internal-tag":[2011],"class_list":["post-183752","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-snowsports","category-stewardship","tag-climate","tag-climate-change","tag-ski","tag-skiing","tag-snowboarding","tag-snowsports","internal-tag-home-secondary"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/news\/artificial-snow-and-climate-change","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Everything to Know about Machine-Made Snow (Just Don’t Call It Fake)","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/news\/artificial-snow-and-climate-change","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/news\/artificial-snow-and-climate-change"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/11\/HERO-Content_Team_082817_99238.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/11\/HERO-Content_Team_082817_99238.jpg?fit=2000%2C1333"},"articleSection":"News","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Ever Meister"}],"creator":["Ever Meister"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["climate","climate change","ski","skiing","snowboarding","snowsports"],"dateCreated":"2025-10-31T17:36:00Z","datePublished":"2025-10-31T17:36:00Z","dateModified":"2025-10-31T17:36:00Z"},"rendered":"