Helping Mother Nature: Making Snow in Tahoe
By: Alex Silgalis
There are multiple reasons why Lake Tahoe is world-renowned for its skiing and snowboarding.
But one of the biggest is its snowfall. Compared to other regions, such as Colorado, where
storms arrive in inches, here they come in FEET, but even so, making snow in Tahoe is an important way we ensure that terrain gets opened early. As anyone can attest, Old Man Winter can be a bit of a drama queen. So, when he’s feeling fickle—especially in the early season—we’re fortunate to be home to the West Coast’s largest snowmaking system: Heavenly Mountain.
How Big is Heavenly’s Snowmaking System?
In summary, Heavenly’s snowmaking operation is unmatched in Tahoe. In fact, it has more
snowmaking capacity than Palisades Tahoe, Alpine, and Northstar combined. Their system can
blow snow on 70% of its marked trails, and at peak capacity, they can cover a football field with
2 feet of snow in just 10 hours. In addition to the natural snowfall they receive, Heavenly boosts
their snowpack by producing about 120 inches of snow each year.
Snowmaking is an Artform
When you hear ‘man-made snow,’ many people might think of a low-quality product
on the slopes. But that’s not true at all. Like making great sourdough bread, the ingredient list
is simple—just air and water. But it takes a practiced hand to create packed powder.
A Layered Cake
Then you must consider the time of year you visit as the type of snow they make will differ.
Think of it like a layered cake. Near the ground, snowmakers will want denser snow because
it’s more durable against ski traffic, and trails can be covered more quickly. That’s why, as
snowmakers build the snowpack on open trails, you’ll find that the snow is softer—because its
mix contains more air and less water.
When Can Heavenly Make Snow?
It’s not as simple as just saying ‘below freezing.’ Snowmakers need the water shot out of a
snow gun to freeze before hitting the ground. For those who are meteorologists at heart, it’s all
about the ‘wet bulb’ temperature. This tells you how easily water can evaporate based on
humidity and air temperature. Without getting too technical, the magic number is 27.5 degrees
Fahrenheit. Local Freshies® dives into the details of snowmaking in their article, Who Puts The
‘King’ In Snowmaking?
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