"Ribbons of artificial snow from two to three feet deep have been shot by air compressor-activated snow guns up to two-thirds of the way up the mountain."
It goes on describe the artificial snow as "cube like crystals" with "a bit more density than nature's snow." I'm sure that sounds familiar to today's skiers. The system sounded pretty cutting edge for the time, pulling 1400 gallons a minute and putting down two acre-feet of snow in eight hours.
I suspect in 1976 there were no Utah ski resorts with snowmaking. It would be interesting to look into the history of snowmaking investment and expansion at our resorts. Online articles suggest Deer Valley had a snowmaking system when it opened in 1981. Prior to the 2002 Olympics, Snowbasin expanded and installed what was probably at the time the state's most expansive and sophisticated snowmaking system. My recollection is that Alta was not yet making snow when I moved here in 1995, but perhaps my memory is inaccurate. AI tells a lot of good stories, but they can be authoritative BS so I'm reluctant to use it here.
That said, as we have learned this season, most contemporary snowmaking systems today are still at the mercy of Mother Nature. If wet-bulb temperatures are too high, snowmaking efforts are hopeless. This has been a major issue in Utah so far this season (although guns will be roaring in the during and in the wake of this latest cold surge). All-weather snowmaking systems are available, but are expensive to buy and operate and not used to cover large areas of terrain.
Let's hope we see a colder, snowier pattern emerge for 2026.
Did the 1976-77 season turn around?
ReplyDeleteIt did somewhat (especially in March) but ended up below normal. Check out https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11vte36QWid_gv34f2afFHe04544JcaPQf5speyFIVsU/edit?gid=74083938#gid=74083938 for some great data.
DeleteThank you!
DeleteI started teaching skiing at Alta in 94: Gordy Phifer and Brett ... were on the snow making team Mid October to Mid December for a season pass, it snowed a lot then, so it was a good commitment for a season pass. I think they covered sunny side, and cork screw. Alta actually has a pretty system that works a lot from gravity with some help from pumps
ReplyDeleteIf snowmaking didn't exist, skiers would care more about climate change
ReplyDeleteI'm sitting here mouth agape and soul crushed as LCC GFS 2025122912 guidance takes wetbulbzero from 4500 Weds 11pm as the storm starts to 8000 Fri 1am as the storm ends. Jim, say it isn't so.
ReplyDeleteAs to 76/77, I was 14 that was my 11th ski season, I remember dry land training starting in Nov and continuing into Jan. Some kids went to Alpine Meadows for a ski camp because they had snow. Details are vague but I remember starting the season mid-Jan w a race in Sun Valley bc they had been making snow. And I remember bare brown ground on the edge of the run which had a 3 foot bank of snow above the ground. It was warm in Salt Lake when we left, checking KSLC I see 49 was the high Jan 18, and Jan 9 the high was 23 and the low was -2. Definitely don't remember it being that cold, so much for memory. I do remember warm days and crisp nights but no snow. I don't remember much else about skiing that winter but that image of a man-made bank of snow above bare ground at Sun Valley stays in my mind's eye.
This winter is definitely more and better than I remember skiing, 0 Dec 1976 vs 17 days so far in 2025. I'll be interested in Alta Guard when the data becomes available for 2025, 45 at Collins so far Dec 2025 vs 17 at Alta Guard Dec 1976 seems to tell the story. This year its been possible to scrape, pun intended, by ski touring, where it probably wasn't feasible in 1976. In any event my first tour wasn't until 1978, be interesting to hear what Hanscom and Kelner did Dec 1976.
So anyway Jim, wetbulbzero forecast s simply too high for our Thurs storm, Porter Fork road started Sat morn as a gooey but skinable glopping mess, Gobblers was actually OK, solid base w fluff on top, even better Sunday. Ascent was entirely on skins, exit was booting from about 7500. Porter Fork road Sunday exit was an ice rink, very thin ice. I shudder to think what a rising rain line does to Porter Fork. Sounds like Gobblers will move along fine w accumulating snow, but the trailhead may melt out. The exit from 7500 would seem to remain booting.
Welcome to our future I guess. You kindly said this is not the new normal but rather an extreme event. I want to believe you.
Looking forward to updates as our Thurs storm evolves and really appreciating the fun diversion weather.utah.edu provides, even if it provides a too high wetbulbzero