Canada's Second Largest Ski Resort Triples Summer Snow Storage Program

At Canada’s second-largest ski resort, Sun Peaks, British Columbia, a grand experiment in snow storage is entering its second year.

The approach, which has tripled in size since 2025, uses specialized insulated mats from the Finland-based company Snow Secure. This summer, the mats covered three enormous piles of snow totaling approximately 17,000 cubic meters, according to Sun Peaks.

The resort added that 80 to 85% of the snow survived the warmer months. It’ll be used to prepare the Nancy Greene International Race Centre for its early-season training operations, which begin on November 6.

There is a benefit for the public, though. Sun Peaks noted that with so much snow being stored, the mountain operations team can redirect snowmaking to other parts of the resort, including the 5 Mile run and beginner learning zones.

Sun Peaks plans to open officially on Saturday, November 21, 2026. 

Along with the snow storage program, the resort is now in the third year of a six-year, $5.5 million snowmaking enhancement plan.

“These investments are designed to improve snow quality and maximize water and system efficiencies as the resort adapts its operations to changing winter weather patterns,” Sun Peaks said in a release.

Sun Peaks is one of a growing number of North American mountains turning to snow storage. 

Trollhaugen, Wisconsin, and Jay Peak, Vermont, are both using the technique to host out-of-season rail jams. Trollhaugen hosts its event in October, while Jay Peak invites skiers and snowboarders to shred in June. 

For the first time, Aspen Snowmass, Colorado, also teamed up with Snow Secure this past summer. The initiative was, in part, a pilot, but it did allow Snowmass to host an October rail jam earlier this month. 

Snow Secure is perhaps best known for its work with Finnish ski resorts Ruka and Levi. Thanks to stored snow, Levi guarantees a season that lasts from October through May. However, this year, warm weather and rain appear to have put a damper on the October skiing.

While stored snow isn’t, of course, powder, it does appear to show promise for resorts thinking about a changing climate.Winters are getting shorter, according to Climate Central. 

But leftover snow could make it easier to open trails even when the weather doesn’t cooperate during the increasingly finicky early season.

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