Big Sky's high-tech fix for a warmer ski season

• Big Sky is relying on advanced snowmaking and grooming technology to maintain skiable conditions.
• Despite a slow start, better snow management may allow the ski season to extend later into the spring.
• Climate change is making snowfall less reliable, forcing resorts to invest in technology and skiers to be more flexible.

BIG SKY, Montana − In early February, Big Sky had not gotten quite its usual snowfall. Although most of the terrain was open, there were a fair number of bald patches. On some days, afternoon highs approached 50 degrees, making for unexpectedly spring-like skiing conditions in early February.  

As a snowboarder from the East Coast, I was expecting more consistent, powdery conditions at a mountain known for its frigid temperatures and expansive terrain, not the usual variability I’m used to at mountains closer to home.

Like so many western mountains this season, Big Sky’s early winter was slightly disadvantaged by higher-than-average temperatures and lighter-than-average snowfall, especially at lower altitudes.   

Nevertheless, mountains like Big Sky are able to stay open and rideable thanks to new technology, even as climate change makes snowfall totals less certain. 

Here’s how Big Sky is making it work. 

Relying on and investing in snowmaking 

“The season has been really interesting. We have significantly less actual snowfall than our average season,” Adam West, vice president of mountain operations at Big Sky, told USA TODAY. “Even having that much lower than average snowfall, the mountain is skiing really well.” 

West said he attributes the mountain’s consistency this winter to a few factors, including its more northern latitude relative to other western resorts, and the fact that it’s been able to improve its snowmaking and snow management practices in recent years. 

He said that snowmaking at Big Sky usually begins in October. Most seasons, the mountain is able to rely on natural snowfall by mid-December, but in warmer winters like this one, snowmaking remains a staple longer into the season. 

Making snow at Big Sky isn’t random, West said. The resort uses a software called iSno to monitor its snowmaking system in real time. The software allows mountain managers to track snow gun performance and water and energy usage to optimize snowmaking capacity.   

“It’s really important that we put all the water in the right place,” West said.  

This year, Big Sky also added LIDAR technology to some of its grooming machines, allowing trail maintenance technicians to maintain coverage more consistently and help prevent bald patches from forming. 

That system, called SnowSat, lets grooming machine operators get real-time information about the exact depth of the powder on trails where they’re working, enabling them to ensure they’re pushing snow around to maximize consistent depths across the terrain, or to build up extra padding where it’s needed.  

Big Sky’s investments mirror those of other Rocky Mountain and western resorts, which have relied more heavily on snowmaking in recent years. 

“We’ve seen increases in temperature, which leads to all sorts of events that impact snowpack,” Lee Parton, an assistant professor of economics and an environmental economist at Boise State University, previously told USA TODAY. “People respond with where they book, and where they choose to go is sensitive to how much snow resorts are getting.” 

Longer late season 

While ski seasons may be taking a little longer to hit their stride in recent years, strong snow management means mountains can often stay open later into spring. 

West added that the snow quality is also contributing to the mountain’s ability to stay open. 

He said, although the mountain received less snow overall, the powder that did fall was a little moister and denser than it has been in colder winters, meaning it’s been sticking to the terrain better, which gives the groomers more material to play with during overnight mountain maintenance. 

“The skiing is quite good out here. It was warm, it was slushy, but the coverage was still good,” West said. “By and large, the whole mountain is skiing, and it’s skiing well.” 

He added that he expects snowfall to eventually trend back toward average later this winter, which will position Big Sky well for late winter and spring skiing. 

What the future holds for winter sports 

As snowfall becomes less reliable at ski resorts, winter sports fans will have to be more strategic about booking their trips. 

West said Big Sky has seen an uptick in visitors this winter, while resorts further south in the Rockies have struggled even more with early-season conditions. That drove many skiers to follow the powder more deliberately. 

Parton, the economist, previously told USA TODAY that that’s a long-term trend that’s likely here to stay for winter sports enthusiasts. That could drive more people to buy passes like Epic and Ikon, the most expensive versions of which offer a high level of flexibility for skiers to make last-minute trips to mountains on their roster. 

“Some areas are projected to get a lot more snow under higher emissions scenarios, and they could be the winners,” Parton said. “Recreationalists and winter sports enthusiasts have more options for substitution of where they go with mega passes like the Epic Pass and Ikon Pass.” 

The reporter on this story received access from Expedia and Visit Big Sky. USA TODAY maintains editorial control of content. 

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com.