Snowshoe Mountain Announces $4M Investment In Snow Technology

Snowshoe Mountain has announced that it will be investing nearly $4M in upgrades to its snowmaking and grooming technology this summer. Resort officials anticipate that the investment will allow them to open significantly more of their ski trails by early December and maintain a high-quality snow surface throughout the ski season; all while greatly reducing the mountain’s carbon footprint. 

“This is the single most important investment our new owners, Alterra Mountain Company, could make in Snowshoe,” said Frank DeBerry, Snowshoe’s President and Chief Operating Officer. “As this past season demonstrates, Snowshoe’s unique microclimate and elevation provide us with the cold and snow we need to provide the best and most skiing and riding in the mid-Atlantic and Southeast. This investment further boosts and protects our greatest strength, all while taking yet another step towards reducing our impact on the environment.” 

Increased Efficiency and Sustainability

• The re-tooled snowmaking system will cut the resort’s energy costs and consumption significantly, and return more than 5,000,000kwh back to the grid. 
• 5,000,000kwh is enough to power 500 homes for an entire year. 

New Snowguns and Automation Equipment

• The investment includes over 160 new snowguns to be positioned in key, fixed locations around the mountain, as well as the equipment needed to further automate the snowmaking system. 
• 75 Fixed Position Tower Fan Guns 
• High Production/Low Energy DemacLenko Titan 2.0 will be utilized 
• The most powerful snowgun currently on the market, capable of making massive amounts of snow in short windows of time. 
• 90 Low-Energy “Stick” Guns
• Super energy-efficient SnowLogic DV7’s use less than 10% of the energy required of traditional snowmaking equipment. 
• Will allow the resort to maintain high-quality surface conditions with minimal energy usage. 
• Automation Hardware & Software
• Further automating the mountain’s snowmaking system will increase efficiency, giving it the maximum amount of production time during even brief snowmaking opportunities. 
• Each snowgun will have access to temperature and humidity sensors that trigger the automation software and adjust air/water ratios to ensure both high quality snow and maximum snow production. 

Snowshoe Mountain is the perfect winter destination for adventure filled family vacations in West Virginia. Snowshoe covers a total area of 11,000 acres in the Appalachian Mountain Range, and includes the second highest point in the state at 4,848’ elevation. With 60 trails and 257 skiable acres, Snowshoe was voted the Best Ski Resort in the region by Blue Ridge Outdoors. In addition to terrific outdoor winter recreation, Snowshoe offers extensive lodging options, gourmet dining, shopping, wedding and convention areas, and a luxurious spa. Snowshoe Mountain Resort is part of the Alterra Mountain Company