---
title: "Fake snow: Big business on a warming planet"
description: The Beijing Winter Olympics relied on fake snow. As the planet warms, the business is apt to grow.
---

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# [Fake snow: Big business on a warming planet](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/news/02282022-fake-snow)

 Written by [Juliet Bennett Rylah](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/news/author/juliet-bennett-rylah) | Feb 28, 2022 2:25:20 PM

The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics saw athletes compete on fake flakes. But what exactly *is* artificial snow?

The simple answer: It’s [made](https://theconversation.com/olympic-skiers-and-snowboarders-are-competing-on-100-fake-snow-the-science-of-how-its-made-and-how-it-affects-performance-176339) by combining water and compressed air in a “snow gun” that shoots it into the air where it freezes as it falls.

But not all frozen water is the same. Caltech physicist Ken Libbrecht [told](https://www.vox.com/2022/2/10/22926270/artificial-snow-beijing-2022-olympics-climate-change) *Vox* that faster-forming artificial snow looks like ice pellets under a microscope — not beautiful, unique snowflakes.

Athletes can feel the difference, too. Harder, icier snow might be great for speed, but many have [warned](https://www.sportecology.org/_files/ugd/a700be_9aa3ec697a39446eb11b8330aec19e30.pdf) it’s less safe.

#### **It’s also very expensive**

Beijing doesn’t get much snow, so China purchased $60m in equipment from Italian snow company TechnoAlpin, [per](https://slate.com/culture/2022/02/fake-snow-olympics-skiing-beijing-china.html) *Slate*.

While initial estimates were ~49m gallons, TechnoAlpin [told](https://www.insider.com/beijing-olympics-artificial-snow-costs-days-drinking-water-900-million-2022-2) *Insider* it expected ~343m gallons of water would be needed — a day’s recommended water intake for 900m people.

Despite a pledge to reclaim that water, ~40% is lost to evaporation, adding to environmental concerns involved with using water to make snow, especially in water-scarce Beijing.

#### **This year’s Games weren’t the 1st to use artificial snow**

That was [Lake Placid](https://www.sportecology.org/_files/ugd/a700be_9aa3ec697a39446eb11b8330aec19e30.pdf) in 1980. PyeongChang’s snow in 2018 was [90%+](https://www.si.com/olympics/2022/01/24/how-is-snow-made-artificial-winter-olympics-beijing) man-made. Sochi’s in 2014 was 80%. And ski resorts? In North America, [~90%](https://www.powder.com/stories/opinion/the-problem-with-fake-snow/) fake.

Why? Unfortunately, a lot of this has to do with climate change. One report [found](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13683500.2018.1436161) that even in a low-emission scenario, 13 of the 21 previous Winter Games locations would no longer be climate reliable in the 2050s.

#### **But snow sports aren’t slowing down**

China’s Hebei province is [aiming](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-sport-hebei/chinas-hebei-province-targets-23-billion-ice-and-snow-industry-by-2025-idUSKCN1IV0UB) for a $23B “ice and snow” industry by 2025, including a ~$19B snow equipment manufacturing sector. Since 2015, when Beijing was awarded the 2022 Games, the number of Chinese ski resorts have [grown](https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2022-02-19/snowmaking-is-a-growth-business-from-the-olympics-to-the-alps?sref=3Ac2yX40) 40% to ~800.

And overall, the global snow-making systems market was [worth](https://www.maximizemarketresearch.com/market-report/global-snow-making-system-market/103025/) $153m in 2020 and is expected to reach $240.9m by 2027 at a CAGR of 6.7%.

**BTW:** It’s not just winter sports. Southern California is not exactly known for snow, but one of its biggest attractions — Disneyland — sees regular [holiday “snowfall.”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6w36VaLz2oY)

[View full post](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/news/02282022-fake-snow)

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