[dropcap letter=”A”]fter Sunday River won an industry award two years ago for its snowmaking, the resort doubled down and invested even more in growing its snowmaking capacity — a necessary thing these days, what with our warmer winters. Now, the downhill season in Newry can still start in the fall and run well into the spring, and the metrics behind that feat will knock you off your skis.
2,000
Snow guns arrayed around the resort, running at water pressures up to 800 pounds per square inch, about 10 times stronger than a showerhead.
400,000,000
Gallons of water per ski season pumped through the resort’s snowmaking system. A single gun can use up 200 gallons per minute.
1968
First year of snowmaking at Sunday River, some 18 years after Connecticut’s Mohawk Mountain became the first ski area to use man-made snow.
80
Miles of pipeline used to carry water around the mountain, in addition to 25 miles of snowmaking hoses.
500
Man-hours worked per day by the snowmaking crew, who split into two 12-hour shifts so that the system has 24-hour-a-day coverage.
90
Miles per week walked by a member of the snowmaking crew, on the high end. On the low end, a crewmember will log 75 miles.