Storing snow to start the season early in Lapland ski resorts 

White, UV‑tolerant fleece protects snow piles over summer, enabling reliable early‑autumn openings and cleaner snow quality

The Challenge 

Early, predictable openings are commercially critical for ski areas. Resorts need snow on slopes, cross‑country tracks and snowmobile trails weeks before natural accumulation to secure training, events and visitor bookings. Historically, operators insulated late‑season snow piles with wood chips. In many ski areas where the terrain is exposed and windy chips are difficult to install and keep in place, and they contaminate the snow that is later redeployed. Resorts require a cleaner, more stable, and easier‑to‑handle insulation method that would reduce summer losses, withstand UV exposure and wind, and scale across very large piles.

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The Solution 

ViaCon supplies a proven snow‑storage fleece system used annually by leading Lapland resorts. Each spring, operators build compacted snow piles and cover them in layers, often combining insulation panels with a white UV‑tolerant fleece as the final layer. Fleece sections are joined with Velcro, which adheres effectively because the fleece is non‑heat‑treated with a slightly fluffy surface. This allows rapid installation and reconfiguration over large surface areas with reliable performance through summer.

The ViaCon Advantage 

  • Predictable start dates: With banked snow on hand, resorts open on schedule—Levi has every year their first slope ready for skiing in the beginning of October. 
  • Cleaner snow: Fleece covers keep debris out, delivering higher‑quality early‑season surfaces than legacy wood‑chip methods. 
  • Practical in wind: Lightweight panels joined with Velcro are easier to keep in place than wood chips in exposed locations. 
  • Reusability: In some seasons, resorts reuse the material for a second summer, improving lifecycle value. Quantities purchased may therefore vary year‑to‑year. 
  • Scalable and repeatable: Annual deliveries and repeatable installation methods support consistent execution across large piles and multiple sites. 
  • Flexible to site practice: compatible with insulation panels where required; scalable roll formats and straightforward joining with Velcro. 

Typical practice and outcomes:

  • Large, compacted spring piles covered with white fleece as the top layer for UV tolerance. 
  • Optional insulation panels under or between fleece layers for additional thermal performance. 
  • Fleece sections connected with Velcro; edges detailed and weighted per site methods to mitigate wind uplift. 
  • Loss of the snow is about 50–75% during summer; the retained core is redeployed in autumn. 
  • Stored snow is moved to priority ski slopes, cross‑country trails and snowmobile safari routes to begin operations early.

Technical specifications 

  • Fleece: white, needle‑punched nonwoven, UV‑tolerant; supplied in large roll formats for rapid coverage. 
  • Joining: Velcro along panel overlaps; edge detailing per resort method to resist wind uplift. 
  • Insulation: panels may be added beneath or between fleece layers where target retention demands it. 
  • Use lifecycle: material may be reused for more than one summer depending on handling and site conditions. 
  • Applications: autumn preparation of ski slopes, cross‑country tracks and snowmobile trails.