Indiana Ski Area Tests New 'All-Weather' Snowmaking

Latitude90s dramatically alter the historical snowmaking calculus, allowing smaller ski areas to navigate iffy weather more reliably.

Normally, snowmaking requires temperatures around freezing (this equation is more complicated when you consider wet-bulb temperatures, which factor in air temperature and humidity), but Latitude90s can churn out the white stuff when it’s as warm as 77 degrees Fahrenheit.

Ski Ward, Massachusetts, a little 45-acre ski area outside Boston, has made consistent headlines thanks to its Latitude90.

With the snowmaker, Ski Ward dodged the usual freezing-level gambit and managed to offer North America’s first lift-served skiing two seasons in a row in 2023 and 2024.
 
This skiing was unsurprisingly humble—Ski Ward had a small groomed run with magic carpet access this season—but it might provide a glimpse into the future of consistent early-season openings, even if Latitude90s working alone don’t have the output to coat entire mountains.

Functionality-wise, Latitude90s have been compared to giant snow cone machines. They also feature a tool that allows users to adjust the size of the snowflakes it outputs. Larger flakes last longer in hot weather, while smaller flakes coalesce to produce higher quality snow.

“Our snow machines pump temperature-controlled water from a reservoir to an evaporator,” a blurb from the company’s website reads. “Free from chemical additives, the water is then pulverized onto a refrigerated evaporator and transformed into ice. The ice is then broken down by a roller and sent to the propulsion mechanism.

There are three models of Latitude90—the L30, L60, and L120—each with its own snow output quantity. The L120, unsurprisingly, is the largest. The machines look like shipping containers and can be operated with a smartphone or tablet.

For now, the arrival of a Latitude90 at Perfect North hasn’t shifted the resort’s planned opening date. Its website still notes that mid-December is when they usually start spinning the lifts, and an official opening date announcement is to be decided.

In the meantime, think snow. As impressive as the leaps forward in snowmaking technology are, nothing will beat the natural stuff.

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