Aspen Snowmass has launched a pioneering climate-resilience pilot project, becoming the first ski destination in Colorado to deploy advanced insulation blankets to preserve winter snow through the summer months. The initiative relies on patented technology from Snow Secure to shield existing snowpack from warm seasonal temperatures, ensuring a stronger, more sustainable foundation for the upcoming 2026-27 ski season.
According to a report by The Aspen Times, the resort team has rolled out these specialized thermal mats over terrain parks situated on both Buttermilk and Snowmass Mountain. The trial wraps approximately 3.5 million gallons of snow water equivalent — mostly consisting of man-made snow generated during the previous winter cycle. By shielding this mass from summer elements, the resort preserves not just the physical snow, but the substantial water and energy resources originally required to manufacture it.
Chris Miller, Senior Vice President of Sustainability at Aspen One, explained to reporters that preserving man-made snow allows the resort to retain its “embodied energy.” Normally, when early-season snow melts away, the energy used to blow that snow is permanently lost. Retaining this volume gives the mountain a valuable head start for the next opening day while reducing the immediate water and power footprint typically required when operations spin up in late autumn. Miller emphasized that expanding a resort’s climate-resilient toolbox with these systems is essential for navigating increasingly volatile and unpredictable alpine weather patterns.
Data collected early in the project already shows promising results. Miller noted that temperatures beneath the blankets at Buttermilk registered at a stable 32.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Snow Secure Chief Executive Officer Antti Lauslahti explained that the company’s specialized mats feature integrated rain covers designed to combat the snowpack’s primary threat: external heat load. Even on days when alpine valley temperatures spike up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the insulated barriers keep the internal climate resting between 35 and 37 degrees, restricting vertical snow loss to roughly three to four and a half feet across the entire summer.
While Aspen Snowmass marks the inaugural testing ground for this specific setup in Colorado, the technology has already seen successful deployments across parts of Canada, Wisconsin, and Idaho. Lauslahti stated that Snow Secure is currently engaged in development discussions with roughly 80 resorts across North America, with 15 actively integrating the technology into their management plans. Given that the long-lasting mats are rated to endure at least 10 years of seasonal redeployment — backed by an active eight-year benchmark program running in Finland — Aspen remains highly optimistic about the long-term viability of the strategy.