| Have you ever seen the snowmakers at the local | | | | air, the water is “atomized”, or broken |
| ski hill and wondered how they worked? Wonder | | | | down into tiny droplets. These unnatural droplets |
| no more, it may not be as simple as it looks but | | | | actually will freeze in cold air. Plus, expanding air |
| it certainly isn't magic! | | | | looses heat, so this system also cools these |
| You’ve seen the snowmakers on the side of | | | | droplets, further helping the freezing process. |
| the hill at your local ski hill and wondered to | | | | However, making each droplet “freezable” |
| yourself, “How do those work?” As far | | | | using compressed air isn’t always the most |
| as you can tell it looks like a giant sprinkler, | | | | efficient thing to do. Most snowmakers will use |
| spraying water high above the slopes so it | | | | two types of nozzles on each machine. |
| freezes and turns into snow. But could it really be | | | | Remember that natural water won’t freeze |
| as simple as spraying a light mist of water into | | | | unless it has something to freeze onto? Well, the |
| the air? The answer is yes…and no. | | | | first type of nozzle runs water and compressed |
| You see, water is a funny little liquid. A natural | | | | air, making snow crystals. The other type of |
| water droplet that forms after being pushed | | | | nozzle sprays only a fine mist of water. However, |
| through the nozzle of a spray bottle, sprinkler, or | | | | the nozzles are positioned so that the mist from |
| pressure washer may not freeze, even if it is | | | | the water-only nozzles will mix with the snow |
| cooled well below freezing. Known as | | | | crystals from the air-water nozzles. The plain |
| “supercooled” water, these droplets just | | | | water freezes onto the snow crystals multiplying |
| can’t seem to form themselves into a frozen | | | | snow output without requiring extra compressed |
| crystal because in order for these natural droplets | | | | air. When you see large, barrel shaped |
| to freeze, they needs something to freeze onto. | | | | snowmakers, frequently they will have one ring of |
| That’s right, without something to attach | | | | air-water nozzles and many rings of water-only |
| themselves to, water droplets can remain liquid | | | | nozzles. |
| even if it is well below freezing! That’s why | | | | Snowmaking technology is now making a |
| some places in the world get freezing rain. This | | | | movement from the ski hill to the backyard. The |
| form of precipitation is simply supercooled water, | | | | same technology applies, but instead of high |
| the second it hits the ground though (or a tree, | | | | pressure water pumps, home snowmakers use a |
| car, house, etc) it freezes, creating an amazing | | | | pressure washer, like what you use to wash your |
| but dangerous layer of ice wherever the storm | | | | car with. Usually, these snowmakers use a vertical |
| passes. | | | | setup where the air-water nozzle is on the |
| So how the heck do you get water to turn into | | | | bottom, with as many as four water-only nozzles |
| snow then? The most common way is to break | | | | are positioned above. Small shop air compressors |
| down the water into even tinier, unnatural | | | | are used to supply the compressed air side of the |
| particles using compressed air. By running | | | | recipe making home snowmaking incredibly easy |
| compressed air through the nozzles along with the | | | | and affordable. |