When most skiers and snowboarders think of ideal conditions, they picture cold, crisp winter air and fresh, dry powder. But behind the scenes at Lost Valley, creating that snow is a careful balance of temperature, humidity, and high-tech snow-gun operations all overseen by owner Scott Shanaman, who knows exactly what it takes to build a ski season from the ground up.Snowmaking depends not just on the air temperature, but on the wet-bulb temperature, a measurement that combines temperature and humidity to indicate how quickly water can evaporate and cool.When air is dry, water droplets evaporate faster, cooling them enough to freeze into snow. When air is moist, droplets evaporate slowly, making it much harder to freeze them, even if the thermometer reads below 32°F.“It can be cold, but it can also be wet cold and that’s not good for snowmaking.” explains Shanaman. When looking at the wet-bulb temperatures, it needs to be just right. 26°F wet-bulb or lower provides excellent, high-output snowmaking and 27 to 30°F wet-bulb provides fair production.Anything above 30°F wet-bulb makes for poor conditions and the snow guns often shut down.At Lost Valley, 27°F and below is considered optimal for efficient, heavy snow production. Once temperatures creep toward 30°F or higher, output drops and the quality of snow suffers.The 2025-2026 season is starting off colder and wetter than average. Several ski resorts, including Lost Valley, was able to open early because the right conditions set in. “December 6th is our second earliest opening in more than 30 years.” says Shanaman.He says on average the resort will have a mid-December opening but towards the holidays, we have been seeing warmer temperatures not ideal for snowmaking or skiing. “By mid-January, that’s when the colder air works its way into the region and we can typically open up all the terrain.” says Shanaman. Snow guns work by combining water and compressed air in cold, dry conditions to create man-made snow. Inside the gun, high-pressure nozzles break water into tiny droplets and push them into the air. At the same time, compressed air cools the droplets and helps atomize them into a fine mist. As this mist is blown into the atmosphere, the droplets freeze before they reach the ground, forming snow crystals that closely resemble natural snow.The efficiency of the process depends strongly on the wet-bulb temperature, which takes both air temperature and humidity into account. Colder, drier air allows the droplets to freeze more easily, while warmer or humid air makes the process less effective.Snowmakers also adjust the ratio of air to water through stages on the gun. In marginal conditions, the gun uses more air and less water to encourage freezing. When conditions are colder and drier, they increase the water flow and reduce the air, which makes snow production faster and more efficient. This balance helps create snow that is dry enough for skiing yet firm enough to build a lasting base on the slopes.In fact, man-made snow has rounder ice crystals and is more compact than normal snow and has been found to last through more rain and warmer temperatures than normal snow. So, the next time you’re shredding it up and down the black diamonds, remember, it took a lot of physics, engineering and forecasting to get it down pact.
When most skiers and snowboarders think of ideal conditions, they picture cold, crisp winter air and fresh, dry powder. But behind the scenes at Lost Valley, creating that snow is a careful balance of temperature, humidity, and high-tech snow-gun operations all overseen by owner Scott Shanaman, who knows exactly what it takes to build a ski season from the ground up.
Snowmaking depends not just on the air temperature, but on the wet-bulb temperature, a measurement that combines temperature and humidity to indicate how quickly water can evaporate and cool.
When air is dry, water droplets evaporate faster, cooling them enough to freeze into snow. When air is moist, droplets evaporate slowly, making it much harder to freeze them, even if the thermometer reads below 32°F.
“It can be cold, but it can also be wet cold and that’s not good for snowmaking.” explains Shanaman.
When looking at the wet-bulb temperatures, it needs to be just right.
26°F wet-bulb or lower provides excellent, high-output snowmaking and 27 to 30°F wet-bulb provides fair production.
Anything above 30°F wet-bulb makes for poor conditions and the snow guns often shut down.
At Lost Valley, 27°F and below is considered optimal for efficient, heavy snow production. Once temperatures creep toward 30°F or higher, output drops and the quality of snow suffers.
The 2025-2026 season is starting off colder and wetter than average. Several ski resorts, including Lost Valley, was able to open early because the right conditions set in.
“December 6th is our second earliest opening in more than 30 years.” says Shanaman.
He says on average the resort will have a mid-December opening but towards the holidays, we have been seeing warmer temperatures not ideal for snowmaking or skiing.
“By mid-January, that’s when the colder air works its way into the region and we can typically open up all the terrain.” says Shanaman.
Snow guns work by combining water and compressed air in cold, dry conditions to create man-made snow. Inside the gun, high-pressure nozzles break water into tiny droplets and push them into the air. At the same time, compressed air cools the droplets and helps atomize them into a fine mist. As this mist is blown into the atmosphere, the droplets freeze before they reach the ground, forming snow crystals that closely resemble natural snow.
The efficiency of the process depends strongly on the wet-bulb temperature, which takes both air temperature and humidity into account. Colder, drier air allows the droplets to freeze more easily, while warmer or humid air makes the process less effective.
Snowmakers also adjust the ratio of air to water through stages on the gun. In marginal conditions, the gun uses more air and less water to encourage freezing. When conditions are colder and drier, they increase the water flow and reduce the air, which makes snow production faster and more efficient. This balance helps create snow that is dry enough for skiing yet firm enough to build a lasting base on the slopes.
In fact, man-made snow has rounder ice crystals and is more compact than normal snow and has been found to last through more rain and warmer temperatures than normal snow.
So, the next time you’re shredding it up and down the black diamonds, remember, it took a lot of physics, engineering and forecasting to get it down pact.