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Snow making in Ireland

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  • 20-11-2009 9:10pm
    #1
    ronbyrne2005
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,494 ✭✭✭


    Was looking at this site
    www.snowathome.com/free_plans/SAH-SG3_e-type_external_mix.php
    Was thinking of making a snow maker for xmas. HAs anyone any experience? I was looking at prices of 2nd compressors and with recession they are quite cheap. How many days a year would conditions be right for snow making in Ireland?


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    #2
    arctictree
    Registered Users Posts: 4,329 ✭✭✭arctictree


    ronbyrne2005 wrote: »
    Was looking at this site
    www.snowathome.com/free_plans/SAH-SG3_e-type_external_mix.php
    Was thinking of making a snow maker for xmas. HAs anyone any experience? I was looking at prices of 2nd compressors and with recession they are quite cheap. How many days a year would conditions be right for snow making in Ireland?

    Isn't there an advert on TV at the moment from one of the phone companies about a guy building one of these and making snow in his girlfriends garden for XMas morning?!

    Anyway - there seems to be lots of info about this on the web.

    Basically, for snow making, you need low temps and low humidity. This is problematic here as we have neither. Have a look at the following chart:

    wetbulb-f.jpg

    Our humidity here is around 95%, so you need temps between -2.7c and -6.6c to make snow, the lower the better.

    Getting these temps depends on your location and of course the weather. Last year we had a good few nights here (Roundwood, Wicklow) where the temps stayed below -5c for long periods, so this could have been good snow making weather. By the coast, I doubt if the conditions would have been favourable.


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    #3
    ronbyrne2005
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,494 ✭✭✭ronbyrne2005


    If someone had use of a sloping north facing field in wicklow mountains could snow be generated regulaly and would it stay much of winter? People could pay to go tobogganing etc.


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    #4
    arctictree
    Registered Users Posts: 4,329 ✭✭✭arctictree


    ronbyrne2005 wrote: »
    If someone had use of a sloping north facing field in wicklow mountains could snow be generated regulaly and would it stay much of winter? People could pay to go tobogganing etc.

    Lugnaquila had a snow covering for most of last winter. But last year was an exception in a string of mild winters.

    The answer to your question is that you would need a slope that is fairly high up, above 500M probably. During the winter months (Dec, Jan, Feb) you would need to make loads of snow on the nights that the conditions were favourable.


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    #5
    Kippure
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,186 ✭✭✭Kippure


    ronbyrne2005 wrote: »
    If someone had use of a sloping north facing field in wicklow mountains could snow be generated regulaly and would it stay much of winter? People could pay to go tobogganing etc.

    Already had that idea....;) Ring an insurance company and see what they tell you...


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    #6
    kleefarr
    Registered Users Posts: 5,743 ✭✭✭kleefarr


    Snow making info tool here


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    #7
    ronbyrne2005
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,494 ✭✭✭ronbyrne2005


    Kippure wrote: »
    Already had that idea....;) Ring an insurance company and see what they tell you...

    Get everyone to sign a disclaimer.


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    #8
    Kippure
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,186 ✭✭✭Kippure


    ronbyrne2005 wrote: »
    Get everyone to sign a disclaimer.

    With an average no. of 12 days for making snow in ireland.....is it worth it? How would you even price it fairly? For going down a hill of man made snow.

    10 euros a for an hour.....? Or 20 for the day.....?

    I just dont know.


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