Steepmanagement: Maximize Snowmaking

You can’t manage what you don’t measure—especially on the slopes. Leading European resorts have long used snow-height systems like SNOWsat, Prinoth Leica, and ARENA Slope Management to optimize grooming, target snowmaking, and reduce operating costs. North American resorts are now discovering the same advantages.

This past winter, 2025/2026, clearly showed the importance of managing the snow surface and the reliance on snowmaking. A late Sierra storm kept some lifts spinning, and in the East, if it weren’t for snowmaking, all but one ski resort would have been closed. Expanding snowmaking is not plug-and-play: it requires permitting, sourcing more water, and often more air and power—and it’s expensive. I’ve seen very impressive data tables that show resorts managing their data extremely well and maximizing snowmaking productivity. Others are flying by the seat of their pants—doing their best but not achieving the same efficiency.

ARENA Slope Management can help you move from flying by the seat of your pants to maximizing snowmaking productivity. By measuring snow, integrating with your snowmaking system, and outputting actionable data, ARENA enables the same decisions behind those impressive data tables. If you already use SNOWsat or Leica measurement systems, ARENA can collect and aggregate that data to build the structures that support smarter decision-making.

Want to elevate your trail-management game? Contact Steep Management at backland@steepmanagement.com or (802) 279-3081 to learn how measurement technology can transform your season.

Remember—if it isn’t measured, you can’t manage it. Let’s make the slopes