SNOW MAKING
WHY WE MAKE SNOW
Corin Forest has the distinction of being a ski resort where it rarely snows. We usually receive about 6 natural snow falls every winter with an average of 5-10 cm per fall.
Luckily Corin Forest is a very cold place with temperatures as low as -10 and this allows us to make snow throughout the winter. We need to wait until the temperatures are below -2C and then we can start the snow guns.
OUR SNOW GUNS
There are many different types of snow guns – at Corin Forest we use “fan gun” technology. Water under high pressure is mixed with compressed air and ejected from the gun by a very powerful fan that blows the very small water droplets high into the air. As the droplets descend to the ground, they freeze creating snow. We don’t add any chemicals in the process it is 100% water.
WHEN WE MAKE SNOW
Snowmaking takes place usually in the middle of the night when temperatures are coldest, it requires a lot of patience as we wait for the conditions we need. In an average winter Corin Forest gets about 400 hours below -2 and we can create a snowcover up to 2.5m deep.
GROOMING
After the snow is made we use grooming machines to move the snow across the hill and prepare it with a smooth surface that is safe and easy to ski and ride on.
THE YETI - OUR WARM WEATHER HERO
In 2019 Corin Forest invested in all weather snowmaking technology as part of our strategy to mitigate against a changing climate. The machine makes flake ice inside the unit using refrigeration meaning it is not reliant on it being sub zero in order to produce snow.
The machine known as the “yeti” is particularly useful at the start of the season and allows us to put as base of snow down and get operating at times when the weather is not cooperative. To prove its worth we made snow for the Easter holidays! It was such a hit that we plan to do this every year.
