SnowNews 2015-2016

TECHNOLOGY OF : The science of snowmaking

new products: THE Super PUMA

CUSTOMER STORIES: Jeongseon Korea 2018 Alpine Olympic Venue

Snow UNIVERSITY: CLIMATE AND WEATHER PATTERNS

SMI SNOW CLINIC: VIVA LAS VEGAS

ViNTAGE SNOWNEWS: 1970’S SNOWMAKING 1 Joe VanderKelen President, Snow Machines, Inc.

EDITORIAL

Your team of SMI people from around Snowmaking continues to be a huge the world continue to work hard factor in resort success and providing developing, producing and support- the best snow surfaces possible. Our ing the best and highest performing planning and engineering teams

Thanks for helping SMI remain successful and a leader in the industry. We promise to keep investing in new products and people to continue to earn your business. snowmaking equipment and services provide experience for master makers.com, it is packed with interest- in the industry. planning your custom snowmaking ing and helpful information.

We are pleased to introduce the system. The 2015-16 snowmaking Thanks for helping SMI remain Super Puma in 2015 in various mobile year is upon us and once again the successful and a leader in the and tower mounts. The Super Puma weather windows appear to be industry. We promise to keep investing snow production and ease of use shorter with more volatile patterns. in new products and people to move it to the top of the class for big Annual snowmaking investments to continue to earn your business. throw and most productive fully make snow faster and in more automatic snowmaker. marginal conditions is the industry direction. So take note of your snow- In this SnowNews issue, you will making system performance this year read about some of the basics of and let us know how we can help. the science of snowmaking and Take some time and check out snow- some El Niño weather facts and perspective. Also included is SMI’s project at the new 2018 Korean Olympic Alpine Venue.

Contents Technology of Snow: Science of Snowmaking 3-6 New Products: The Super Puma 7-8 Customer Stories: Jeongseon Korea 2018 Alpine Olympic Venue 9 - 10 Snow U: Climate and Weather Patterns 11 - 15 SMI Snow Clinic: Viva Las Vegas 16 Vintage SnowNews: 1970’s Snowmaking 17 - 18 2 TECHNOLOGY OF SNOW 3 THE SCIENCE OF SNOWMAKING Snowmaking has become a critical aspect of mountain resort operations worldwide, highly appreciated – and even expected - by beginners and Olympic skiers and board- ers alike. Natural snow flakes are often formed over days or hours of suspended time in the air. In contrast, Snowmaking has only 3 to 15 seconds to freeze the water.

There’s a lot of science that goes into and every aspect of this process in a SMI’s commitment to the science the snowmaking process – which variety of environments, using both doesn’t stop with high-quality involves breaking water into small natural and mechanical forces in the product lines. For the past 40 years, particles, cooling the water below 0°C most efficient way, and thus the company has emphasized the (32°F), removing the heat of fusion for providing the best quality snow for value of well-educated resort the phase change from liquid to solid, every desired situation and location. operators who not only understand and nucleation or seeding. Evaporative cooling is necessary and this science, but actively participate in The primary forces in this equation its main secondary effect is water its improvement and perfection. are evaporative and convective cool- loss. Water loss can also happen due There’s a lot that resort operators ing. The first involves mass loss from to other factors, including wind can do to maximize snowmaking and liquid to vapor. When this happens, drifting, sublimation and shorter hang minimize losses, besides choosing the these molecules carry heat away times. SMI’s technology has been right snowmaking equipment. with them, leaving the remaining carefully engineered to minimize Maximizing snowmaking non-evaporated water droplets much these factors by using some of the Cooling the water to 1.8°C (34°F) may cooler and ready to freeze as snow. most powerful snowmaking be one of the most important steps Convective cooling is the warm water equipment on the market, capable of in helping the entire snowmaking droplet releasing into the cold landing snow on the targeted slopes, process. Sprayers, bubblers and water ambient air of the slopes, which can using bigger nozzles to control circulators can help as part of the less also cause a drop in temperature. sublimation and fighting winds, while expensive cooling concepts recom- SMI Snowmakers’ engineers maintaining unique hang times and mended by SMI. Water cooling towers carefully and constantly analyze each perfect snow density as needed. 4 are very effective, but add extra stop in order to avoid degrading the Always try to make the desired capital and operating costs. beautiful quality snow which has just density snow to help minimize wet

To enable the correct water particle been achieved. snow drainage and cure times – this is size and distribution among the Minimizing losses very dependent upon resort location, nozzles, it is very important to use Early in the season, the ground is weather forecasts and other factors appropriate water pressures for the usually not completely frozen and has (tubing slopes, Nordic slopes, race snowmaking equipment. Using latent heat, which causes faster slopes, and so on). Curing is a concept powerful fan snowmaking can help melting. To avoid this, consider usually ignored by many users, but fight the wind on medium and wide making an insulating layer of wetter it is an important part of the science slopes, while LowE sticks are typically snow that can help freeze the ground of snowmaking. Snow is typically best utilized on narrow, colder more effectively and create an insulat- produced in piles to allow the water weather or lower priority slopes. ing blanket from the warm ground. droplet extra time to completely freeze. With SMI’s technology, most SMI’s latest automation advances can This layer will last longer and help snow is 100% frozen upon hitting the be used for a fast start (when condi- cool the air above, while ground. However, for many different tions are met), consistent snow quality protecting the top layer of snow from reasons and regardless of the via the constant adjustment to chang- melting due to the ground’s warmer technology used, some drops are only ing weather conditions, and for a fast temperatures (see Illustration 1). frozen like an eggshell. These take

1 2 3 4 The December sun is Less energy absorbed Snow radiates energy On a clear night, this at a low angle and means cooler air efficiently at infared energy loss from fresh snow reflects temperatures during wavelengths. snow-covered ground 90% of this visible the day. enhances the cooling of sunlight. air near the surface.

After snow falls, temperatures follow suit.

5 Illustration 1 1 Fine spray water droplets (outside ring)

2 Iced seed crystals (nucleator)

5 Bigger frozen particles 3 Mixing

4 Small frozen particles

6 Snow on ground: some eggshell form and some fully frozen

Illustration 2 more time to freeze completely as available on the market today is a result of the cooling forces of the applied so that every SMI machine snow pile (see Illustration 2). Most can make snow that is very dry, if For the past 40 expert resorts prefer to leave snow desired, and totally frozen within years, SMI has in piles to cure for 6-36 hours before seconds of leaving the snow gun in a emphasized pushing them out. Cure time is very variety of conditions. With hundreds of situational, depending on the day of innovative ideas, such as using 360° the value of the week, the timelines for season oscillation or carefully written auto well-educated openings, storage needs for rainy flow algorithms at the heart of the resort opera- weather, as well as a number of machine, SMI snow can be produced other factors. on the exact spot needed and skied tors who not only

Real-life experience on during production, while providing understand this SMI’s experienced team of engineers, the highest quality dry snow that science, but designers and experts take these skiers love and expect. After all, when actively participate it comes to perfect snow, one real-life situations into consider- in its improvement ation when designing the latest SMI person’s ideal may be wetter or prototypes and products. The most drier than another’s. and perfection. advanced snowmaking technology

6 Please contact SMI or your local representative for more information and to see the Super Puma snowmakers.com/super-puma-snowmaker.html NEW PRODUCTS THE SUPER PUMA SNOWMAKER SMI is pleased to introduce the Super Puma Snowmaker and Snowtower for the optimal fully automated big throw snowmakers.

The Super Puma excels in all SMI’s best in class automation offers conditions, but has been developed a color touch screen display at for marginal conditions. Utilizing a 25 eye level, easy to use menu driven HP (19 kw) custom designed fan with logic incorporated into SMI’s strong 75 water and 27 peripheral nucleator SmartSnow™ software. nozzles. A 5 HP rotary vane The Super Puma can be mounted on compressor is standard along with 3-wheeled frame, on jacks only, or on center water feed, 359° oscillation, a various tower lengths and mounts. custom low and tight center of gravity packaging.

8 CUSTOMER STORIES 2018 Jeongseon Korea Alpine Olympic Venue SMI has been selected as the snowmaking supplier for the 2018 Olympic Alpine Resort in Gangwon-do Province in South Korea.

A new mountain and resort is being booster pumping equipment. developed that will host the 170 automatic hydrants will feed this downhill, Super G and slalom events water to 90 full auto Super PoleCat for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. towers, and 20 mobile Super and Kid The slopes are being carved from PoleCat fully automated fans. A fiber a forested area that covers over 25 optic communication backbone will meters (2700’) of vertical on this distribute the SmartSnow™ powered rugged and rocky mountain. software and intelligence system.

The resort requires new roads, 2018 will be SMI’s 8th Winter Olympic buildings, power and communications Games being the lead provider of to support over 200 broadcast snowmaking products and services. 2018 will be SMI’s 8th Winter Olympic Games making us the lead provider of snowmaking products and services. towers. A new 128,000m3 (33M We are proud of this history and gallons) pond is being constructed tradition, and your resort can be along with a new base area. confident that SMI remains a top

The slopes will be covered by a fully snowmaking company that is automated SMI snowmaking system. rock solid. Torrent is providing the 3750 gpm (850m³/hr) pumping equipment, 2300 gpm (520m³/min) water cooling towers, and 2235 gpm (520m³/hr)

10 U

SNOW UNIVERSITY SNOW UNIVERSITY “Godzilla” El Niño

As Snowmakers, we have to be prepared for immediate action at any time without warning. That’s why we’re constantly looking at the weather, reviewing and ana- lyzing at least a half dozen forecasts daily – and why we get to know our resort’s micro-climates in great detail.

But understanding our local or Snowmakers and resort operators describe a warm southward water domestic weather patterns is not should know about these macro current that appeared almost annu- enough. There are macro global events and how they could potentially ally around Christmas time, near the events occurring year after year that disadvantage or benefit your resort. Peruvian coast. Hence the name El can modify our precious snow These patterns have been repetitive Niño, Spanish for “The Child” which levels and affect our snowmaking over the years and can provide impor- refers to the Christ Child. production. tant insights into how to prepare for During the rest of the year a north- This year, more than ever, we are your next season. ward cool current prevails because of experiencing and identifying major Why “El Niño”? the trade winds, causing upwelling of weather patterns across the oceans A couple hundreds years ago, South cool, nutrient rich water. But during that could and will indeed modify, for American sailors coined this term to late December this upwelling relaxes, good or bad, and boarding conditions all over the globe. North America El Niño and La Nina are current topics in the news as we approach one of the strongest El Niño events ever. Many weather experts are predicting the possibility of several extreme events from major droughts to enormous floods, as well as colder South and drier, to milder and wetter America winters, depending on the area of the globe.

El Niño is a warming of the eastern Pacific Ocean, mainly along the Equator. The thick red belt in this satellite photo indicates waters that are warmer than normal.

12 causing warmer nutrient-poor water As the El Niño event begins, the climatological flow to the new tropical that signals the end of the fishing easterlies relax, reducing the amount energy sources. Associated with them season. When El Niño arrived, the of upwelling and allowing the west- is a circulation of mass and energy in fishing was over. ern warm water to move eastward the atmosphere that extends

Scientists in the early 1960s concluded towards America. When weather pat- several thousand miles pole-ward well that these events were associated and terns are normal or there are typical into the subtropics. From here, strong ones occurred inter-annually. cold currents it is called La Nina. a big wave-like pattern in a perturbed flow is where it starts affecting our ski resorts.

Consequences of El Niño Dense tropical rain clouds distort the air flow aloft (5–10 miles above sea level) much as rocks distort the flow of a stream, or islands distort the winds that blow over them, but on a horizontal scale of thousands of miles!

The waves in the air flow, in turn, determine the positions of the mon- soons and the tracks and belts of strong winds (commonly referred to as jet streams) that separate warm

Since then, the term “El Niño” (or El Niño’s presence, involves the and cold regions at the Earth’s sur- warmer episode) has described not sensitivity of the atmosphere’s face. This is what induces warmer, only the local warm current, but a circulation to shifts in orga- colder, drier or wetter winters, where warming of the tropical Pacific surface nized cumulonimbus convection. either plenty of snow may fall or cold waters occurring every two to seven Atmospheric wave motions adjust the dry snaps, ideal for snowmaking, years and associated with changes in could be possible. the atmospheric circulation in the tropical Pacific and ultimately worldwide.

AccuWeather’s global weather center said the world could be facing the stron- gest El Niño phenomenon in 50 years.

13 Most El Niño winters are mild over A big El Niño pattern will offer equal be felt in winter, causing colder, drier western Canada and parts of the chances for above normal tempera- conditions in Northern Europe, and northern , and wet over tures in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, wetter, milder winters through south- the southern United States from Texas portions of the Midwest and Southern ern Europe and the Mediterranean. to Florida. El Niño affects temperate California. Warmer temperatures As an example, during the not so long climates in other seasons as well. seem most likely in Illinois, northern ago 2009-10 Niño, the winter across California and Washington State. 2015-16 Winter Europe was exceptionally cold. But There’s also an expectation for above We are not into forecasting your sea- there are many other variables that normal precipitation chances from son, but within this brief explanation affect Europe’s climate and there was New York down the East Coast to of El Niño events, the US National a deep, protracted solar minimum Florida, as well as in dry Southern Weather Service in August issued an at the same time, which is known to California. Illinois, Michigan and other advisory giving 90% chance of one increase the likelihood of colder parts of the Midwest may see a of the strongest on record El Niño winters. And despite El Niño of drier-than-normal winter. weather patterns. NASA scientists 2006/2007, Europe’s winter was mild. took it a step further saying the The European Niño Asia-Pacific El Niño 2015-16’s El Niño has a Godzilla Research suggests that the main Forecasts are not the best when we potential, which will accentuate every impact in Europe, is more likely to speak about super-sized El Niño for possible consequence.

14 Asia and the Pacific. The 2015 typhoon One of the other main consequences season is on pace to surpass aver- of the predicted El Niño later this age numbers and could challenge year would be to boost global the record number of super typhoons temperatures. If you are inter-

since 1959. It could mean either 2015 or 2016 will ested in more info El Niño will keep waters warmer than become the hottest year globally on about a specific average in the part of the Pacific record. In fact AccuWeather’s global topic, would like to Ocean where tropical systems usually weather center said the world could develop. The rising air in this region be facing the strongest El Niño comment or have leads to a high probability of tropi- phenomenon in 50 years. something to share, cal system formation. During 1965 One way or the other, El Niño please forward and 1997 seasons, there were 11 will certainly have the potential to any comments and super typhoons. AccuWeather meteo- grab the headlines later this year. rologists are forecasting nine super Although there are no guarantees, a ideas to snowuni@ typhoons this year, which will be the Monster Niño like this surely provides snowmakers.com third most active season on record. an uncommon opportunity for us And the Typhoon season is forecasted Snowmakers to anticipate the climate to extend well into the winter, until and tendencies well in advance. December, which is usually a quiet Now that you know what El Niño and month for these types of events. La Niña means, start preparing your Strongest El Niño ever, really. pumps and SMI Snow machines and The 2015-16 season may bring one get ready to have the best season of the strongest El Niño events on ever!! As even during wintertime, El record, comparable with the one in Niño is only one of a number of 1997, which was distinguished by factors that influence temperature record-breaking warm sea surface and climates. Make Snow, Go Skiing temperature anomalies. Using this and have the Most Vertical Fun!! comparison, you can look up your Baltazar Sanchez International Commercial Director resort records from back then and prepare for this snow season accordingly.

15 SMI CLINIC 2015 VIVA LAS VEGAS SMI was pleased to host the 2015 and Resort and consisted SMI Clinic in Las Vegas, NV from of maintenance and training of the September 23rd to September 25th. Super PoleCat and Puma. Day 2 was Our primary goal of the clinic was hosted by the SMI Auto crew who to increase understanding of our went through electrical, auto and equipment while introducing fellow SmartSnow trainings. SMI would like snowmakers from around the world. to thank everyone in attendance for Day 1 was hosted by Las Vegas Ski their enthusiasm and positive spirit that made this this event successful.

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