PENINSULA, Ohio — Evan Biskup, Mountain Operations Manager at Boston Mills Ski Resort, is the mastermind behind the resort’s snowmaking operation.
“High-quality snow is the drier, finer quality that's lighter, doesn't pack as well, doesn't have as much moisture in it,” Biskup explained. “Stuff that you can push around with your skis and boards as you're coming down the hill.”
During opening weekend, hundreds of skiers and snowboarders flocked to Boston Mills. Days before, the temperature and humidity were just right, enabling the resort to ramp up production to full capacity.
“Everyone knows that Ohio's weather is a little bit temperamental. So, we take advantage of our snowmaking opportunities whenever we can,” Biskup said.
At his disposal, Biskup has a fleet of fixed towers and portable snow guns. These machines are designed to combine water and air to create artificial snow.
“From the top comes compressed air. From the bottom comes our water. The air and water mix. Because water molecules want to stay connected to one another, the air and water breaks those bonds apart, making those water molecules as small as possible,” Biskup explains.
As the fine water droplets are dispersed into the air, the rapid cooling process causes them to freeze, forming snow.
Biskup doesn’t measure snow by inches, he measures it in gallons. Each snow gun can handle 65 gallons of water per minute, producing a large volume of snow. The manufactured snow has a different texture than natural snow.
“Natural snow has many thousands of feet to fall from the sky before it hits the ground. That gives you that nice light and fluffy powder,” Biskup explained. “Here, we only have about 20 feet of fall.”
Regardless of how the snow gets on the slopes, it’s a blast for the skiers.
“Some adrenaline rush there. But I find it also relaxing,” said skier Emily Zigo. “Just gliding back and forth on the hills. It's fun once you get the hang of it.”
To determine the ideal conditions for making snow, Biskup uses a water bulb calculation, which factors in both temperature and humidity. For optimal snowmaking, Biskup looks for a wet bulb temperature in the range of 5 to 28 degrees.