Updated 3 June 2024

It's the first weekend of winter and our mountain is dusted in white. Mother Nature has brought the wintry vibes all weekend as temps dipped to -3.7 degrees on Saturday night and -3.2 degrees Sunday night, providing great snowmaking conditions with guns producing snow both nights. Temps were so cold dustings of fresh snow fell throughout the weekend, adding a layer of white to our mountain.

Our hard-working snowmaking team started making snow for the first time in mid-May and will continue to fire up the snow guns at every opportunity this winter.

As part of our extensive fleet, the snowmaking team unpacked a bunch of brand-new snow guns from Techno Alpin and we have a new Pistenbully snow groomer arriving in early June ready for winter! Over the last five years, we have made an investment of over $4 million in our snowmaking system and grooming fleet, ensuring our guests can experience the best possible snow conditions all winter long.

With snowmaking underway and chilly temps in the forecast, it’s the perfect reminder that the start of the season is just around the corner! Get excited for your snow holiday by locking in unlimited laps at Falls Creek with an Epic Australia Pass, plus book your lessons and rentals early and save. Hurry, Passes go off sale on 12 June!

Preparation for winter: 

Our mountain teams have been busy over the summer maintaining and improving our mountain infrastructure, as well as undertaking Techno Alpin Snowmaking Academy Training, ensuring the best preparation for a busy season ahead! 

Typically taking place in Italy, the Snowmaking Academy Training was brought to Falls Creek this year, led by snow gun manufacturer Techno Alpin. Seven of our snowmaking and maintenance crew attended, learning from the best in the industry about technological advancements and how we can get the best results out of our machines for the winter season. 

Speaking to Snowmaking Supervisor Zac Cox, he said the new Techno Alpin snow guns were an exciting addition to the snowmaking capabilities this season as they can produce more high-quality snow for longer. This has our snowmaking team geared up for higher snow production levels this year! The new guns will be placed at high traffic areas on the mountain, including runs near Towers and Halley’s Comet chairlifts. 

Zac also stated how integral the Snowmaking Academy Training was, educating the team on the updated systems of the new guns and providing invaluable troubleshoot training. This will ensure maximum snowmaking outputs when temperatures are on! 

Weather & its impact on snowmaking 

With the temps dropping as winter approaches, our snowmaking team will be ready to make snow at every opportunity when conditions allow! With a little helping hand from Mother Nature, it won’t be long until our slopes are once again covered in white. 

However, making snow is not as simple as switching on the snow guns. The weather has a big impact on our ability to make snow from the machines, which is why sometimes you may be wondering why we aren’t producing snow all the time.  

High humidity levels from low cloud cover means snowmaking isn’t always possible. Optimal snowmaking conditions in season are temperatures below –1.5°c with low humidity. But when the temps are on, and the conditions are good, our teams are ready to produce snow all day and night!

Fun fact: Did you know snowmakers use a piece of Perspex to determine snow quality? By placing the piece in the snow to reach on-ground temperatures, snowmakers stand under the snow plume with the Perspex to determine how the snow granules form on the snow surface! See for yourself in the image gallery above. 

Our heroes of the night 

Snowmaking is not all clear skies and star gazing either, our teams are battling cold, harsh conditions and are out in the elements most of the night while maintaining and analysing the machines. Watch the video below to learn more about what our snowmakers get up to each night. 

Working closely with our grooming team, our snowmakers are an essential cog in mountain operations, running over 200 snow guns across the resort including Wombat’s Ramble, Drovers Dream, Main Street, Highway 83, Broadway, Scott, Ruined Castle and Summit. Our night team operations are the unseen superhero's that keep us having fun and smiling on the slopes each day! 

Keep an eye on our socials for more updates from our snowmaking team as we prepare for opening day on Saturday 8 June.