Water Out
the Barrel

While Alta Ski Area is known for its bountiful snowfall totals—annually averaging 543 inches of The Greatest Snow on Earth—we’re not afraid to utilize the latest technology in providing the best ski experience for our skiers. In addition to modern ski lifts, avalanche mitigation technology, a fleet of snowcats, Alta has incorporated snowmaking into mountain operations for the past four decades, originally starting with portable snow fans before installing permanent snowmaking equipment.

Water + Compressed Air + Cold Air = Snow

The formula for making snow is unchanged: Water + Compressed Air + Cold Air = Snow. But the past four decades have ushered in new technologies that make snowmaking more efficient and precise than ever.

Alta’s current snowmaking operation is impressive. Starting in October, a complex system of hoses, pumps, chillers, lance guns and fan guns puts down a solid base of snow on Alta's slopes. A hardworking team of snowmakers works around the clock, when temperatures are cold enough, to create mounds of manmade snow. This manmade snow is then spread out by snowcats and groomers, laying down the base of our snowpack early in the season, so we can ski every inch of the 543 inches of snow that falls on our mountain.

Demaclenko snowgun blowing snow at the Wildcat base area early season | Photo: Rocko Menzyk

As temperatures have increased and the climate has warmed, this system helps Alta stay slightly ahead of the curve. It certainly helps that Alta is dedicated to providing the best skiing experience for our guests.

Snowmaking in a Changing Climate | Alta Environmental Center >

How does Snowmaking work at Alta?

Snowmaking water is drawn from a variety of sources and pumped up the mountain to Cecret Lake, which serves as a giant—and stunningly beautiful—snowmaking reservoir. In 2025, Alta Ski Area replaced aging snowmaking infrastructure and installed two large HDPE pipes underground along the length of the Transfer Tow. This new system allows Alta to store up to 250,000 gallons of water between Wildcat and Albion base areas.

Snowmaking season begins | Photo: Rocko Menzyk

When temperatures and humidity create the ideal wet-bulb temperature for making snow, water is gravity-fed to the water chiller and pumped back uphill to the guns placed strategically around Alta in high-traffic areas. The water is then pressurized, cooled and sprayed out into the cold air in a fine mist of snow particles. Fan guns send the snow particles high into the air, where they fall to the ground much like natural snow. Lance snowmakers are tall enough to let the newly-made snow particles fall to the slopes as snowflakes.

Who Does the Work?

All of Alta's snowmaking equipment is automated. Automation is the key, as guns continually self-adjust to changing temperatures. These constant adjustments provide greater efficiency and snow production while also ensuring that the gunpowder coming out the barrel is top-notch.

A crew of Alta employees is recruited to assist in the snowmaking process behind the scenes. As soon as temperatures are conducive to snowmaking, a team of brave employees works around the clock to keep the guns firing and snow stacking up. Working the day, swing, or night shift, these snowmakers do their best to stay warm, snowmobiling from snowgun to snowgun, monitoring and troubleshooting. Snowguns need to be adjusted regularly to maximize snowmaking efficiency.

Snowmaking crews working through the night | Photo: Rocko Menzyk

With the right temperatures, snowguns can produce mounds of snow—known as whales—in a matter of hours. These whales work as on-mountain storage containers for manmade snow, protected from evaporation and melting when temperatures are not conducive to making snow.

Groomers and snowcat drivers take over from there. Watch the Alta mountain cams page to see these snowcats and drivers working all hours of the day to keep the snow moving around the mountain. Cats battle whales, spreading and compacting tons of snow in high-traffic corridors.

Snowcats and snowmaking in October | Photo: Rocko Menzyk

Snowmaking is not an easy job. The hours are long and the late-fall/early-winter environment is less than welcoming. Luckily, the snowmaking season at Alta is short, and these employees leave the job with a season pass and a new connection with the mountain. It's no secret that the snowmaking crew is home to some of the best skiers at Alta.

When Does Snowmaking Season End?

Snowmaking is performed until Mother Nature is ready to take over, whenever that may be. In early snow years, the snowmaking crew is done well before the Christmas holiday. In lean years, we may take advantage of cool weather and long nights, making snow into January.

Manmade snow becomes a crucial layer of our snowpack, making the most of the natural snow that falls through the end of the season. The snowpack in Little Cottonwood Canyon acts as a giant reservoir, storing water into the spring and summer. As the snowpack melts, water refills Cecret Lake and Little Cottonwood Creek. And the whole process starts anew.

Glossary of snowmaking terms

• Water Out the Barrel: An old-timey phrase used to distinguish machine-made snow from all-natural snow

• Atomizing: The process of combining compressed air and water to create small water droplets that become snow.

• Bounce-On-Your-Sleeve: Machine-made snow particles that literally bounce off of a snowmaker's sleeve.

• Gunpowder: Fine, powder-like manmade snow

• Wet-Bulb Temp: A measurement that accounts for both air temperature and humidity to determine how efficiently snow can be made—unlike the standard air temperature, wet-bulb temperature reflects how much cooling can occur through evaporation.

• Cats: Snowcats used for moving snow and grooming terrain

• Whales: Large mounds of manmade snow left to settle—protected from evaporation and melting—for a period of time before being spread around the mountain via grooming snowcats

• Lances: A tall, vertical snowmaking device that sprays water droplets high into the air, allowing them time to freeze into snow before reaching the ground.

• Guns: A snowgun that uses compressed air and water to produce snow by spraying tiny water droplets into the air, where they freeze before reaching the ground

• SnowSat: a digital snow management platform integrated across the grooming fleet which provides real-time snow depth data through GPS and LiDAR-based measurements

• ESR: Energy-to-Snow Ratio, or how much energy is required to produce one cubic meter of snow—measured in kilowatt-hours per cubic meter (kWh/m³)