slgwv's photos with the keyword: snow machine

Snow machine in operation at the Mt. Rose Ski Resort, near Reno, Nevada (and on the way to Lake Tahoe). They'll also run these machines, even once there's snow cover, in high-traffic areas where the snow tends to get worn away! The machine basically consists of an industrial-strength fan surrounded by misters; the idea is that the mist droplets freeze quickly and the tiny resulting crystals are a passable approximation to natural snow. Obviously the air temperature has to be below freezing for this to work! IIRC this machine is built by a Swedish company. AFAIK there are no US manufacturers of such devices.

Used when Nature doesn't come thru! ;) Nearly all ski resorts in our area have them. Even when there's good snow coverage, they're often used to boost the snowpack in high-traffic areas. The unit consists of an industrial-strength fan surrounded by a ring of tiny spray nozzles. The idea is that the water droplets freeze instantly on hitting the air--so obviously air temperatures have to be below freezing for the contraption to work! Looking NNE from the Mt. Rose Ski area, Nevada. Reno, Nevada is out in the valley beyond.