The Swiss ski resort of Zermatt has invested in a machine,the IDE-Snowmaker, that can make snow even at +20C. The plan is to generate the snow in an 11 meter high building with a 100m2 surface area then transport the snow onto the Trockener (sound like dry?) Steg runs. The machine and building have cost 2 million Swiss francs.

IDE Technologies who make the Snowmaker are an Israeli company that have specialized in desalination plants for over 4 decades. They developed the technology behind the Snowmaker to cool South-African diamond mines. According to Christen Baumann, head of the Zermatt ski runs, the system is like “a giant fridge. An air/water mix is blown in to the hangar, the water vapour evoporates, freezes and falls as snow. For skiers it is like spring snow”. The resort says there is no ecological impact as additives are not used (but there is electricity burned - apparently usage is “very reasonable") and snow can be made at any temperature due to the insultation of the building. Other Swiss resorts are studying the project but none are yet planning similar operations.

http://www.lematin.ch/pages/home/actu/suisse/actu_suisse__1?contenu=307777

thanks to http://www.skitour.fr/actu/ for the heads up on the story.

This snowmaking system has been around for a while, MySnowSports was discussing it in June 2006, and I posted a link to a swiss online newspaper report, covering Zermatt’s purchase, onto MSS on 13th Oct 07. It’s interesting that one of the more snowsure Valais resorts has taken the plunge.
Edit. I have changed the link on MSS as the online newspaper has since updated it’s pages links!    MSS link now showing http://www.zermatt.ch/index.e.html

do you have the MSS link handy? I agree that it is strange that it is Zermatt that has felt the need to go for this system.

Here’s the MSS link with article, diagrams and subsequent discussion.
http://mysnowsports.com/News/article/sid=573.html

From subsequent reading on the Zermatt website, they seem to want to ensure the ski link back to Trockener Steg.
http://www.zermatt.ch/index.e.html

I skied Zermatt this month on the Swiss Ski test, and the piste down was officially closed, though plenty of skiers were making the descent, with a small hike out at the bottom.