Spring Snow Machines

It's spring break, and many Americans enjoy spring skiing. Yet, thanks to climate change (or even uncooperative weather), sometimes there isn't enough snow on the slopes.

What happens in those cases?

We make snow!

Well, the ski slope managers do, not us. And they use machines to do it, because most of us do not have god-level powers. 

Let's check out how the technology has evolved over the decades. We're focused those that create a snow similar to actual snowfall, not on those that rely on ice, creating snow more suitable for a snow cone than skiing (I'm looking at you, US 9,909,796).

The first examples I found (US patents only) were patented in the 1950s. US 2,676,471, granted in 1954, claimed to make sufficient quantities for ski trails and other winter sports. The Connecticut-based inventor was potentially motivated by distressing ski season in 1948, '49, and '50, all cited in the patent.

Ah, the days of patent figures that were more artistic than technical

US 3,838,815 of 1974 innovated a machine that did not require compressed air, considerably minimizing the weight and energy usage of a snow machine. Therefore, snow making was more efficient, effective, and inexpensive. Probably a good thing all-around, since high use of energy and water really only makes the original problem--lack of precipitation--worse. 

It looks like plumbing to me

By 1992, inventors were more interested in improving side effects, as snow machinery had sufficiently advanced beyond efficiency concerns. US 5,167,367 is for a ducted-fan snow making apparatus that features a reduced noise level. Various contemporary patented machines had noise levels in the 70-100 decibel range, depending on whether they were ducted-fan or compressed air models. Depending on settings and distance from the fan, this model claims to max out at 82 decibels. 

Besides, this thing just looks kinda cool

After another decade or so, snow makers were turning into entire plants. Inventors were automating their control, such as 2015's US 9,200,825: Control system for an artificial snow making plant. The system is intended for a plant that has multiple snow making apparatuses across ski runs. It's mostly for programming and communications technology, rather than snow making, but still belongs here since one little snow machine can't fix an entire broken climate!

Finally, within the last couple years, inventors were completely automating the process and freeing it from fixed electrical infrastructures. US 11,466,915 can run on battery power, but also designed to use extant electrical systems. It's also compatible with wireless systems. Versatility is now key, since power is expensive and it's time to start thinking about energy expenditures when working against climate change.

Technology to the ski slope rescue!

Another interesting related patent, albeit kind of gross sounding in my opinion, is this artificial snow and artificial ski areas invention, US 7,998,566. It relies on snow "composed of a solid lubricant compounds and resin grains" and the solid lubricant compound consists of ingredients like paraffin, polyethylene ester, polypropylene ester, polyurethane grains, and/or talcum powder. For those of you who did not grow up in a petrochemicals and plastics family, that means this snow is made from plastic and oil-based granules. It sounds so slimy and completely unlike snow. But it doesn't require water or cooling agents! And it isn't restricted to appropriate seasons or temperatures! (Puke emoji)