Snowmaking Tips

Improve your home snowmaking setup and increase snow production with these tips!

Purchase a reliable weather station to obtain accurate temperature and humidity measurements at your location. I recommend the Tempest from Weather Flow as a professional-quality weather station at a reasonable cost.
Make sure it is cold enough to make snow using our wetbulb temperature chart. If temperatures are borderline, don’t expect great snow quality!
Don’t fight the wind – position your snow gun so that it will blow with the wind, and be ready to re-adjust if the wind direction changes.

Build a combo gun, fan gun, or purchase one of our snowmakers. Tee guns are not efficient and will not make much snow.
Get hang time – mount the snow gun several feet above the ground to give the water droplets ample time to freeze before reaching the ground. In marginal conditions, more hang time is always better! Use a metal post or sturdy stand that will not fall over when the snow gun is turned on. If using a shorter stand, the snow gun can be angled into the air at a modest angle to provide more hang time.
Use the right snowmaking nozzles, and remember that more nozzles do not equal more snow!
If using a snow gun with an adjustable nucleation mixture, ensure the mix is correct by performing the glove test.

Air pressure – use a nucleation nozzle so that your air compressor maintains at least 70 psi, preferably 80 – 120 psi. Do not regulate the air pressure, and make sure the air compressor runs continuously without cycling on and off. If the compressor cycles, use a larger nozzle.
Air line – Over extended run time, ice will build up in your air line. To prevent air line clogs, use a garden hose (5/8″ ID or larger) for your air line.
Water pressure – select the correct bulk water nozzles so that the water pump maintains pressure between 400 – 1000 psi. Remember that the water flow from your pressure washer is constant, and use our nozzle calculator to determine proper nozzle sizing. Higher pressures (750+ psi) will result in better snow quality in marginal conditions.

Make sure to store your snowmaking equipment in a warm, dry location to prevent damage due to water freezing. Wait to move the equipment outdoors until you are ready to begin making snow.
Run your pressure washer and air compressor off of separate circuits to avoid tripping the circuit breakers.
Drain or blow out all hoses after shutting down to prevent residual water from freezing at start-up.