A method of building ice structures using guidelines attached to posts to form a framework. Water is sprayed on the frame from sprinklers. Ice forms on the guidelines and grows until the ice supports itself. The structures are built higher as guidelines are added above each previous row of ice. As the ice continues to build up over time, the structures grow in height and thickness to be strong, freestanding structures. The method for creating ice pillars involves the following: Installing vertical posts, positioned around a sprinkler; attach guidelines from post to posts, creating a framework; and spraying water at low temperatures causing ice to form on framework. If desired height of pillar has not been reached, raise sprinkler and attach new guidelines above previous guidelines to existing posts. If desired height has been reached but desired thickness has not, continue spraying water at low temperatures.

A method of providing a snow storage with heat-insulation, the method including covering a snow pile made at a snow storage site with heat-insulating materials of which at least some are insulation boards. In the method, the insulation of the snow pile is carried out by using insulation board mats which include several insulation boards, or insulation board groups consisting of several insulation boards attached against each other, side by side and/or one after another, and which are pivotably joined together, alternately at the upper corners and the lower corners of their opposite transversal end edges, the resulting continuous insulation board mat composed of several insulation boards one after another being foldable into an accordion-like insulation board bundle and re-openable into a continuous insulation board mat. The invention also relates to equipment for providing a snow storage with heat-insulation.

The present application discloses a mold having a base section having a base width, a base first opening, and a base second opening, and at least one intermediate section having an intermediate width, and an intermediate second opening, wherein the intermediate width is less than the base width and the at least one intermediate section is detachably attached to the base section with one or more fastening structures.

A method of releasing ice from a mold apparatus is disclosed which includes the steps of: providing a mold apparatus having a first mold portion including a concave depression and a liquid circulating manifold and a second mold portion having a concave depression; pivotally coupling to the first mold portion to the second mold portion such that the mold apparatus is operable between an ice forming position and an ice harvesting position; assembling the mold apparatus to the ice forming position such that the concave depressions abut to from a mold cavity; injecting water into the mold cavity; cooling the mold apparatus; forming at least one ice structure within the mold cavity; circulating a warm liquid medium in the liquid circulating manifold to warm the mold apparatus; disassembling the mold apparatus to the ice harvesting position; and releasing the at least one ice structure from the mold apparatus.

A mold assembly includes a plurality of sections. The plurality of sections includes a plurality of associated pairs of the sections. Each of the associated pairs of sections is removably coupled together such that each of the associated pairs of sections forms an associated one of a plurality of molds. Each of the molds may be filled with snow thereby facilitating the snow to be shaped into a sphere. Each of the molds has a unique size with respect to each other such that each of the molds facilitates building a snowman.

A snow making apparatus includes a cylindrical body and a snow making nozzle that jets water droplets into the cylindrical body. The cylindrical body has a proximal end that is opened to a temperature environment where snow can be produced from water droplets jetted from the snow making nozzle. A distal end of the cylindrical body is connected to a pipe member communicating with a test chamber. The snow making nozzle is formed of a two-fluid nozzle. The pipe member communicates with a snowfall hood disposed in the test chamber and having a supply opening that allows snow to fall. The cylindrical body is disposed in an oblique posture so as to be lowered from a proximal end toward a distal end of the cylindrical body.

A snow making apparatus includes a cylindrical body and a snow making nozzle that jets water droplets into the cylindrical body. The cylindrical body has a proximal end that is opened to a temperature environment where snow can be produced from water droplets jetted from the snow making nozzle. A distal end of the cylindrical body is connected to a pipe member communicating with a test chamber. The snow making nozzle is formed of a two-fluid nozzle. The pipe member communicates with a snowfall hood disposed in the test chamber and having a supply opening that allows snow to fall. The cylindrical body is disposed in an oblique posture so as to be lowered from a proximal end toward a distal end of the cylindrical body.

A ski resort management system comprising: a data acquisition system that receives data from telemetry systems of the lift systems, of the snow generators and of the snow groomers of the ski resort; a processing station; mass storage units, containing a system database fed by the data acquisition system; and a display interface, accessible from operator terminals. The data acquisition system stores data and signals from the lift systems, the snow generators and the snow groomers in the system database. The processing station enables setting a mode of the display interface for alternatively displaying data relative to each lift system, to each snow generator or to each snow groomer, or to display, in an aggregated form, data relative to all the lift systems, all the snow generators and all the snow groomers.

A ski resort management system comprising: a data acquisition system that receives data from telemetry systems of the lift systems, of the snow generators and of the snow groomers of the ski resort; a processing station; mass storage units, containing a system database fed by the data acquisition system; and a display interface, accessible from operator terminals. The data acquisition system stores data and signals from the lift systems, the snow generators and the snow groomers in the system database. The processing station enables setting a mode of the display interface for alternatively displaying data relative to each lift system, to each snow generator or to each snow groomer, or to display, in an aggregated form, data relative to all the lift systems, all the snow generators and all the snow groomers.

A snow subdivision device includes: a receiving member having a receiving surface that receives snow collectively dropping from a snow growth mechanism; and a transmission portion that changes a posture of the receiving member so as to change an inclination of the receiving surface by receiving an external force. The receiving member drops snow on the receiving surface part by part while temporally shifting the dropping by changing the inclination of the receiving surface, so that the snow falls to a subject area. In the receiving member, the receiving surface can be alternately inclined in both directions so that the snow on the receiving surface drops from both sides of the receiving surface.