Following one of the warmest winters on record, Canadian ski resorts and Nordic centers are turning to snow farming—an innovative technique for stockpiling snow to extend the season.
Canada has long been a pioneer in snow farming, a method that has nothing to do with traditional agriculture but instead involves redirecting or storing snow without relying on artificial snowmaking. Unlike conventional methods that require water and freezing temperatures, snow farming offers a sustainable alternative.
Banff Sunshine in Alberta, which lacks access to a major water source, has been practicing snow farming since the 1970s. Kendra Scurfield, the resort’s vice president of brand and communications, explained that the practice emerged out of necessity. The mountain operations team strategically uses bamboo and plastic fences to capture snow carried by high winds, then redistributes it across the slopes.
Snow farming has also become increasingly relevant in North America due to climate change. The Canmore Nordic Centre in Alberta focuses on snow storage by creating large snow piles in mid-December or early January, insulating them with sawdust throughout the summer, and redistributing the snow in the fall to form early ski tracks like Frozen Thunder. This year, Frozen Thunder will extend to six or seven kilometers—its longest length yet—benefiting both high-performance athletes and recreational skiers.
The United States has also suffered significant losses in the ski industry due to climate change, with an estimated $5 billion USD lost over the past two decades. At Vermont’s Craftsbury Outdoor Centre, snow farming has become essential for maintaining operations. Collaborating with the University of Vermont, the center developed a technique using wood chips to preserve up to 70% of stored snow, ensuring a skiable surface by U.S. Thanksgiving.
With unpredictable weather patterns and rising global temperatures, snow farming is gaining traction as a key adaptation strategy, providing economic stability for ski resorts and local communities.
Source: Swifteradio.com
