With climate change reducing snowfall, ski resorts preserve snow to ensure they can open on time. This “snow farming” stores snow from the end of one season to help start the next.
The stored snow provides a base layer, so resorts rely less on snowmaking machines or natural snowfall. It is the latest creative strategy as the ski industry adapts to increasing weather variability.
At Levi ski resort in northern Finland, nine storage areas hold 200,000 cubic meters of snow farmed from the previous season. The snow mounds sit under 70mm-thick insulating mats made of construction industry foam.
Waterproof sheets add further protection. This ensures high-quality snow for spreading in October to start the new season.
Levi’s snow farming began on a small scale in 2016 after repeated weather cancellations of opening World Cup races. Its success has expanded snow farming across Levi’s terrain, including the new Levi Glacier run.