Content
Skip to Main ContentAccessibility Help
Calgary·Audio

WinSport's snowy slopes created using thousands of litres of water per minute

The snow is flying around Calgary this week, and some of that snow didn't come from the sky. We hear how WinSport's human-made snowflakes are produced.

'We've been out there making snow for about 50 straight hours,' manager says

CBC News ·
This week's cold snap will mean better conditions at the Canada Olympic Park ski hill. The hill is closed through Friday giving crews a chance to step up snowmaking operations.
This week's cold snap means better snow-making conditions at WinSport. (Submitted by WinSport)

LISTEN | WinSport's Ian Newcombe explains the science behind the park's snow-making process:

Calgary Eyeopener4:46WinSport snow
The snow is flying around Calgary this week, and some of that snow didn't come from the sky. We hear how WinSport's human-made snow flakes are made.

Temperatures in Calgary are staying below zero and the snow that blanketed the city is expected to stick around.

While the majority of the white stuff fell from the sky, some of it was produced at WinSport, which operates the city's ski hill.

Ian Newcombe, the park's manager of venues, told CBC's Calgary Eyeopener the facility puts about 12,113 litres (roughly 3,200 gallons) of water a minute on the hill.

"We've been out there making snow for about 50 straight hours," he told host Loren McGinnis. "This amazing cold forecast has come through and we have everything going full blast over here."

The human-made snowflakes, he said, replicate the real ones that are out in the atmosphere and are not just frozen droplets.

CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices|About CBC News
Corrections and clarifications|Submit a news tip|

Related Stories