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Natural snow at the touch of a button

Since the early 2014 winter, the innovative NEUSCHNEE GmbH company is well underway to develop perfect natural snow in the Obergurgl-Hochgurgl ski area. NEUSCHNEE hasn’t anything to do with the common artificial snow producing systems: millions of single snow crystals are produced inside a huge cloud chamber! At the beginning it was a mere scientific project presented by Vienna’s University of Natural Sources. This winter, the very first micro application tests of natural snow production are conducted in the Obergurgl-Hochgurgl ski area.

Wolkenkammer Labor - Neuschnee Obergurgl-Hochgurgl
Cloud chamber in the lab © Michael Bacher / Neuschnee

Research and development

For passionate skiing fans the word “snow production” implies winter sports at its finest while research questions center on totally different topics revolving around scientific requirements. This is the case also when it comes to close-to-nature snow production in the lab.

How can an ideally shaped snow crystal grow? Which conditions are necessary in the laboratory? What is the ideal ice germ for producing snow crystals in a second step?

In spring 2009, the initial tests were made at Vienna’s University of Natural Sources in cooperation with the Vienna University of Technology. The idea was followed by a patent application which was successful. Until the early 2013, research methods were improved, showing that natural ice crystals can grow inside an artificial cloud.

The successful tests in the lab allowed to build the first snow-production system for a low temperature wind tunnel at a German university. It was proved that this natural snow production method can be applied commercially.

Basic principle

Natural snowfall ranks among the most breathtaking phenomena, reminding of snow crystals or entire snowflakes gliding silently from the sky. It’s equally fascinating how these crystals can grow only under certain circumstances.

Low temperatures are an absolute must. Also enough steam or humidity are required. Last but not least, you need the perfect ice germ: tiny particles where snow crystals start growing. Different from raindrops, only very special materials are suitable for this process. Snow crystals grow in size only under perfect circumstances.

Schneekristalle unter Mikroskop - Neuschnee Obergurgl-Hochgurgl
Snow crystals under the microscope © Michael Bacher / Neuschnee

Depending on temperature and steam, the crystals are star-shaped or look like columns or small plates. Once they are big enough they fall down to the ground by intermeshing other crystals and forming snowflakes.

The Company

Staatspreis Patent 2016 - Neuschnee Obergurgl-Hochgurgl
Patent State Award 2016 © Christian Husar

As the universities had no more financial support for further technological developments, co-founder Michael Bacher decided to establish his own company in autumn 2013. Already in summer 2014, the first NEUSCHNEE GmbH spin-off was scheduled, centering on natural snow production technologies also outside the lab in natural environments. Of course, winter sports played an important role as well.

The innovative company, comprising the founders and three employees, has its headquarters in Lower Austria and could arouse the interest of international media with the first pilot plant opened in the Obergurgl-Hochgurgl ski area in November 2014. Additionally, the project received Austria’s Patent State Award 2016 (http://www.staatspreis-patent.at).

Wolkenkammer - Neuschnee Obergurgl-Hochgurgl
© Michael Bacher / Neuschnee

From the lab straight to the ski area

State-of-the-art snow-producing devices are just normal in all major ski areas. Therefore NEUSCHNEE GmbH was convinced that their new technology was of utmost importance for the country’s prime ski areas.

An open-air lab installed in the 2014/15 winter represented the first step towards a new future. The next winter, a new cylinder-shaped cloud chamber was installed, and it exceeded all expectations compared to the first, balloon-shaped one. Much bigger amounts of snow were produced although it was a huge technological challenge.

For the current winter season only a small technical update was made in order to further improve the snow cloud, carrying out also endurance tests.

Snow coming out of the cloud chamber is airy and light, very similar to natural snow on the slopes. The cloud chamber on the spot is still not suitable for covering entire ski mountains with natural snow. In the long term, a mobile snow-producing device will be developed.

In the near term, NEUSCHNEE GmbH is focusing on niche supplies where the high quality of snow plays an important role (e.g. beginners’ slopes, snow parks, etc.). The entire concept is well underway to enter the major ski areas with innovative snow production systems. For sure the cloud chamber receives a new and fairly attractive design in the coming winter season. More details will be available soon…

Gastautor Michael Bacher - Neuschnee Obergurgl-Hochgurgl
Guest author Michael Bacher © pro.media

Guest Author Michael Bacher

Michael Bacher is the founder and managing director of Neuschnee GmbH. As a research associate at Vienna’s University of Natural Sources he has been involved in the development process of natural snow production right from start.

Since 2014 as an independent entrepreneur, he mainly focuses on further technical development and marketing measures in the field of fresh natural snow.

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