12-Hour Shifts, Sub-Zero Temps: Inside the All-Night Grind to Build Winter

You drop into a perfectly carved corduroy run or a pristine early-season groomer, skis humming beneath your feet. Bliss hits instantly. But that perfect canvas doesn’t appear on its own. Long before the lifts start, a small crew of ski resort snowmakers works the mountain. They brave harsh conditions, often through the night, to lay the essential white foundation for the season.

Being a snowmaker is not a cushy 9-to-5. Their work lives are governed by a single metric: the wet-bulb temperature. When the air is cold enough—often below 27F, or -2C—it’s go-time, regardless of the clock. This typically means graveyard shifts, with crews working 12-hour rotations through the coldest parts of the night.

The job is relentless and highly physical. Snowmakers traverse the mountain on snowmobiles, side-by-sides or snowcats, connecting high-pressure hoses to hydrants, and then adjusting the massive snow guns by hand. They're constantly monitoring the snow quality and wind direction, moving the heavy equipment to prevent massive, unskiable whales of snow from forming, or—even worse—burying the water hydrants they need to access.

The work is incredibly exposed. Snowmakers are out in the dark, often on a steep, icy pitch with a ferocious wind chill that plunges the temperature well below zero. It’s a job that demands dialed focus, as simple tasks become extremely difficult and dangerous. Imagine fighting a 250-pound-per-square-inch water pressure valve with bare hands, all while battling the cold and exhaustion.

The crew must wear layers of insulated gear, helmets, and ice cleats, carrying extra weight in tools and equipment. Accidents are not uncommon; from being struck by a bursting hose to getting pinned by a powerful snow gun, the risks are real. This absolute dialed focus is the only think keeping these crews safe and effective.

When the weather cooperates, a snowmaker’s work is rewarded with the sight of a perfect, smooth, glassy, and stable base being formed. You can see the intensity and the pride of their work in action:

Without these crews answering the call, the dream of a gnarly ski season would remain just that—a dream. They are the essential foundation layer, giving us all the chance to rip a line that was just a patch of dirt weeks before. So, the next time you're reveling in those early-season turns, remember the snowmakers.

Thank you to the unsung heroes who work through the night to make our winter possible!