Nov 26, 2007 11:15 pm US/Eastern
Seven Springs: Recipe For Making Snow
(KDKA)
With milder temperatures and less snow expected this winter, ski resorts will have to take matters into their own hands.
So KDKA Meteorologist Valerie Abati traveled to Seven Springs to find out exactly how they make snow.
Skiing down a slope with two feet of powdery snow is ideal for skiers, but this season it's unlikely all that snow will come from Mother Nature.
To make snow, the right ingredients are needed. First, cold water, preferably between 34-38 degrees; next, air and last, just the right temperature.
Snow makers at Seven Springs say they like to see the temperature between 26 and 27 degrees and between 70 to 80 percent humidity.
To start the process, water is collected from one of 50 holding ponds. Both the air and the water are compressed separately by machines.
Officials at Seven Springs say the compressor is the same kind that is used to pump up a bicycle tire, except on a much larger scale.
Then, the compressed air and water are sent through different pipes to the snow towers where they finally meet.
As the air expands, the water evaporates and cools. That results in snow.
Once the snow towers are turned on, the snow makers wait about 15 minutes then check for the consistency of the snow using a piece of Plexiglas material.
Officials say snow production costs as much as $3,000 an hour so they want to make sure the conditions are perfect.
Experts say if the snow crystals hit and bounce off, they're good to go. And, it's perfect if the snow crystals hit and keep their shape. They say that's the base snow that they need.
But, if the snow crystals hit the Plexiglas and melt, the flakes are no good.
The snow makers say during the process the temperature is the most critical point because there's an elevation change of as much as 750 feet. That means there can be a temperature difference of five to 10 degrees between the bottom and the top of the mountain.
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