Artificial Snow

November 13, 2008

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Profile America — Thursday, November 13th. On this day 62 years ago, an airplane flew over Mount Greylock in Massachusetts, dropped super-cooled ice crystals into a cloud and created the first artificial snow. While criticized by those who felt nature should not be manipulated, the experiment caught the attention of ski resort owners, who began their own work in the field. By 1952, the first snow-making machinery was in regular use at a resort in the Catskill Mountains. Today, most every ski resort has such equipment to guarantee skiers a good time, even if the weather does not cooperate. Across the U.S., nearly 9 million people take part in alpine or cross country skiing each year and more than 6 million others enjoy snowboarding. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at <www.census.gov>.

Sources: Famous First Facts, 6774
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2008, t. 1222
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2008edition.html