Overview
Although Snowbasin receives over 400 inches of snow a year, the installation of an automated system enables the resort to open earlier and extend the season into the spring. Snowbasin's system, installed in 1999, is the most advanced snowmaking system in the world, using the most up-to-date technology and equipment. With more than 300 miles of wiring, 50 miles of electrical conduit and 47 miles of pipe, Snowbasin's snowmaking system covers over 600 acres (24 runs, approximately 23 miles) of skiable terrain. Sun Valley, Snowbasin's sister resort, and Snowbasin are now the two largest snowmaking operations in North America.

Snowbasin's elaborate system enables the mountain to make snow of different consistencies. To please powder lovers, the Snowmakers can make dry, light snow. For the downhill courses, Grizzly and Wildflower, the snow can be made hard and packed, just the way the racers like it. The central computer system, located inside the snowmaking building obtains information from the 104 various weather stations around the resort, checking the weather every 15 minutes and adjusting the guns to make the best possible snow based on local temperature and humidity.

Pump Information
The snowmaking building houses ten pumps; three high-pressure pumps, three low-pressure pumps and four cooling pumps. When all pumps are operating, they can pump 3,000 gallons of water per-minute out of the building.

Cooling Tower Information
Special fan-cooled towers are used to cool the water drawn from three wells near the mountain. There are seven cooling towers on the mountain, four to cool water for the snowmaking system and three to cool the 241 degree Fahrenheit air produced by the air compressors. The temperature of the water entering the snowmaking building is 47 degrees Fahrenheit while the temperature of the water leaving the building is 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

Storage Tanks
Part of the snowmaking project included building and completely burying four concrete water storage tanks. One of the storage tanks holds one-million gallons of water, two hold 300,000 gallons each, and a fourth tank, located at the top of Strawberry, holds 50,000 gallons. Three mountain wells provide water for snowmaking and culinary needs.

Snowmaking Guns
There are 521 snowmaking guns and eight manual guns on the mountain. Snowbasin has strategically placed snowmaking guns on both the Grizzly and Wildflower downhill runs. The Men's course has 59 guns and the Women's course has 58 guns, each spaced about 150 feet apart. Each snow gun covers an area of 120 feet by 120 feet and, under ideal conditions, this can account for up to four inches of powder from each gun in a 10 hour period.

Different types of guns help make the snow for the different areas at Snowbasin. The resort houses B-6 Tower guns, York SIL guns and two manual guns, the Ratnick Snow Giant 5 gun and the Ratnick Baby Snow Giant gun.