Thredbo Snow Making

With Guns a' Blazing...
...another snow season is upon to us!

Date: 7 June 2010

Snow making is now in full swing across all resorts in the Snowy Mountains. While Mother Nature certainly has what it takes to deliver the goods, she is often helped along by a variety of experts to help make sure you have a fantastic holiday this snow season! Imagine booking a weeklong snow holiday with your loved ones, only to discover when you finally get there that you are not able to go to your favourite run because of patchy and unpredictable snow levels. Before snowmaking became a permanent fixture across Thredbo and Perisher Valley, this is what snow lovers had to go through. But now, with those snow guns blowing throughout the season, punters are guaranteed a fun day on the mountain, (almost) regardless of what nature is dishing out.

But, what exactly is snow making? While the 'man-made' tag may evoke images of nasty chemicals, test tubes and lab coats, the process of snowmaking is remarkably similar to that of nature. In a nutshell, snowmaking involves taking water, breaking it into small particles, cooling those particles, turning them into small ice crystals. This results in snow as we know it, and snow guns spread the new snow as desired. Simple! Resorts continue the process all throughout the season, often topping up the natural snowfalls with a man-made sprinkling. Both Thredbo and Perisher Valley now offer a considerable amount of terrain that is covered by snowmaking options. (Perisher over 43 hectares and Thredbo over 67 hectares).

Snowmaking however may not be the only tool in our blizzard wizard's belts. One of the more recent methods of weather modification is cloud seeding, which involves the dispersing of substances (usually harmless chemicals) into the air to induce rainfall, or in our case, snowfall. Trials are currently being conducted within the Snowy Mountains with promising results. While the process of cloud seeding is still being refined, it currently stands as one of the more promising options in providing consistent snowfall throughout the season, and making sure you have the time of your life on your snow holiday!

While nothing beats the best of Mother Nature, snowmaking allows you to enjoy more consistent snow conditions throughout the season, so you can head straight up to you mountain of choice with confidence that the snow gods (both in the sky and on the ground) have delivered everything needed for an epic day in the Snowies.

For more information on availability and prices, please see the visitsnowymountains.com.au website. Winter is fast approaching, so I advise booking early to avoid missing out on your favourite property. Even the stunning views are worth the trip!

www.visitsnowymountains.com.au

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