| Every few weeks we will
introduce on this page various buildings, seasonal systems,
features, departments and special events of your favorite
resort! Our current cameo is about our world-class Snowmaking
System:
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. |