Snow Making

An interesting observation I make every year at this time is how the artificial snow manages to hang on after being exposed to warm temperatures while all the natural snow is long gone. No doubt the additives that are added to the water supply create a completely different structure of snow with regard to temperature and density. Found some info on one of the additives listed below under the trade name ?

SNOWMAX?

Snomax Snow Inducer is an ice-nucleating protein derived from the naturally occurring bacteria, Pseudomonas syringae (31a). P-syringae (31a) is found readily in nature, from grass to trees to vegetable crops , and even in the air we breathe.
Snomax is grown in sterilized fermentation equipment. After fermentation, Snomax is pelletized, freeze-dried, and packaged. Finally, the product is irradiated, and shipped to our customers.

Snomax is mixed in water to form a concentrate that is metered into the snowmaking water supply. Every water droplet thrown from the snowgun is then seeded with the Snomax nucleator. This is important because the key to efficient snowmaking is to freeze as many droplets as possible before they hit the ground. If the droplets do not contain nucleators, a great many of them may not freeze before they hit the ground.

Another feature of Snomax is that it functions as a high temperature nucleator, which simply means that it is capable of initiating the freezing process at a higher temperature. With Snomax, ice crystals will be made at 27°F whereas most natural water additives are not effective at temperatures above 15-20°F.

Water with Snomax will freeze faster, more completely, and over a wider range of conditions.

Snowmax allows snow to be made at warmer temperatures, but it doesn't allow it to last longer in spring.

When water is forced via compressed air through a snowmaking nozzle, the mist that forms needs to freeze before it hits the ground. Having Snowmax in the water creates a nucleus around which the crystal may form, thereby speeding the freezing process. Thus the air doesn't need to be as cold and dry for the crystal to freeze before the water droplet hits the ground.

Manmade snow sticks around longer in the spring not because of this nucleus, but because its crystal structure has a denser thermal mass than natural snow does. Natural snow has a structure like this:



Manmade snow, however, is composed of small six-sided crystals without those arms, called dendrites. It's a dense six-sided ice crystal. Darned if I could find a photo of one, though. Because it lacks those dendrites of a natural snow crystal it compacts more easily (accounting for the distinctly different feel of manmade snow underfoot) and retains its temperature more effectively during warm weather. Those arms on natural snow allow the crystals to compact more loosely with air trapped between the crystals. Really, manmade "snow" isn't snow at all, but actually tiny ice crystals.

As seen in http://www.tjb-inc.com/about_news4.htm :

Manmade snow, Greiner said, is denser than natural snow and will last a long time, even when it rains. "It's an ice-crystal formation and doesn't melt as quickly," he said.

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You may enjoy this article I wrote 6 years ago on the subject that has been cited as a reference by others a number of times:

http://www.firsttracksonline.com/snowmaking.htm

Likewise, you may learn more here:

http://www.snowathome.com/science_page.htm
http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/fe ... .Es.r.html

could it be possible that madmade snow usually lasts longer because it is groomed more and thus compacted more? natural snow is packed down by skier traffic, but i imagine a groomer packs down snow a bit more?

riverc0il":fgv0kmbe said:

could it be possible that madmade snow usually lasts longer because it is groomed more and thus compacted more? natural snow is packed down by skier traffic, but i imagine a groomer packs down snow a bit more?

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I'm sure that has an effect, but I wonder if it's more than offset by the destructive nature of the grooming. and, of course, natural snow runs get groomed, too.

Thanks for the information as it is clearly evident that the structure of the artificial snow being denser as compared to the natural stuff is the key to preventing it from melting or evaporating in comparison to the natural stuff. On the other hand this dense structure also contributes to this product turning into sold ice after it is made and then skied on. Guess you can?t have it both ways. Great for extending the eastern season though.

Anthony":2hkxj1xw said:

Thanks for the information as it is clearly evident that the structure of the artificial snow being denser as compared to the natural stuff is the key to preventing it from melting or evaporating in comparison to the natural stuff. On the other hand this dense structure also contributes to this product turning into sold ice after it is made and then skied on. Guess you can?t have it both ways. Great for extending the eastern season though.

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+1

Density.