Could saving summer snow change the future of skiing?
Skiers in Colorado hit the slopes in October on snow saved from last winter. Now the experiment could offer a new way to keep ski resorts running as winters grow warmer and less predictable.
A large mound of snow survived Colorado’s hottest summer on record and has already opened for skiers at Aspen Snowmass.
Skiers and snowboarders returned to the slopes at Colorado's Snowmass ski resort in early October, carving turns on snow that had survived the state's hottest summer on record.
It wasn't newly fallen snow, and it wasn't made by snowmaking machines. It was leftover snow from last winter, preserved for nearly five months beneath enormous insulated blankets.
The experiment worked so well that Aspen Snowmass has already purchased additional blankets for next year, raising an intriguing possibility for ski resorts confronting warmer water and growing pressure on water and energy resources: What if some of winter's snow could simply be saved for later?
Keeping winter alive through summer
In spring 2026, crews at Aspen Snowmass gathered remaining snow into large piles at Snowmass and nearby Buttermilk, covering them with insulated blankets developed by Finnish company Snow Secure.
(Image: Aspen Snowmass)
The experiment covered snow containing the equivalent of approximately 3.4 million gallons of water across both mountains, Chris Miller of Aspen One, the parent company of Aspen Snowmass, told AccuWeather.
“In the spring of 2026, we moved and piled the snow that remained at the end of the season at Snowmass, in the Makaha Terrain Park, as well as at Buttermilk, and then covered both piles with Snow Secure's insulated blankets,” Miller said. He confirmed that drone measurements showed approximately 85% of the original snow volume remained after nearly five months, accounting for natural compression and melting.
The blankets faced a formidable test. Colorado experienced its hottest summer on record, yet temperatures beneath the insulating material remained remarkably stable.
Between April 30 and Aug. 31, temperatures on top of the blankets reached nearly 118 degrees Fahrenheit in direct sunlight, while temperatures at the snow surface underneath averaged just 33.6 degrees, according to Snow Secure's monitoring data.
The preservation method, sometimes called snow farming, uses thick insulation to slow the transfer of summer heat into stored snow. Although the technique has been used at ski areas in Europe and elsewhere in North America, this was its first deployment in Colorado.
From summer storage to October skiing
October Rail Jam at Snowmass (Image: Jeremy Swanson & Aspen Snowmass)
On Oct. 1, crews removed the blankets at Snowmass, revealing approximately an acre of preserved snow at the Makaha Terrain Park. Two days later, skiers and snowboarders returned for free skiing and riding on Oct. 3 and 4, weeks before the resort's regular ski season.
October Rail Jam at Snowmass (Image: Jeremy Swanson & Aspen Snowmass)
At Buttermilk, however, the blankets remain in place. That snow will be redistributed later this fall to help prepare terrain park features and support early-season operations.
“Starting with that base gives our teams a head start on terrain park features and early-season operations, cutting the snowmaking hours, water and energy it takes to get those areas open,” Miller said.
Could snow farming change ski resorts?
Snowmaking requires substantial amounts of water and energy, and its effectiveness depends on suitable weather conditions. Preserving snow from the previous season could reduce some of those demands, particularly during early-season preparations.
(Image: Aspen Snowmass)
Miller said the program has the potential to reduce snowmaking hours, water consumption and energy use, although Aspen has not provided measured savings or cost estimates from the pilot.
The insulated blankets are designed to be reused for at least 20 years, and Aspen Snowmass is already investing in more of them, with the possibility of expanding coverage across its mountains.
“This pilot proved the technology works in Colorado, and it's now an important part of how we think about early-season operations and our broader sustainability strategy,” Miller said.
Preserving snow cannot replace natural snowfall or eliminate the challenges a warming climate poses for winter sports. But the experiment suggests resorts may have another tool for adapting to those challenges.
“Climate resilience isn't something you build when you need it — you build it before,” Miller said.
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