Starting this summer, Whistler Blackcomb will install snowmaking guns around the Horstman Hut area to prevent further recession of the Horstman glacier. With hopes of being operational by October, resort officials are attempting to maintain a consistent summer product in the face of a changing climate. Currently, the glacier is one of the two areas in North America that offer lift-accessed terrain through the summer months. National teams, summer camps, and professional skiers from all over the world currently use the location for summer training.

The “snowmaking pilot project,” which includes the use of “four low-energy consumption snowmaking guns,” seeks to create a sustainable solution to the receding glacier and if it has conclusive effects, operations may be amplified in the future.

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Although resorts in Europe currently employ snowmaking on glaciated terrain to create more consistent snow surfaces for summer skiing and riding, Whistler Blackcomb will be the first to use the system to actively stabilize the glacier from further retreat.

The entire Whistler Blackcomb press release can be read here.