Snowmaking & Grooming
About our Snowmaking System
Since 1966 when Diamond Peak was the first resort in the Tahoe region to invest in a snowmaking system, we’ve been committed to providing our skiers and snowboarders the best snow surface possible. Thanks to the consistent and pure water supply available courtesy of the IVGID Public Works Department, Diamond Peak’s snowmaking system has consistently allowed the resort to enhance what Mother Nature provides and extend the ski season.
Most recently, Diamond Peak Ski Resort purchased several high-efficiency snowmaking fan guns and tower fan guns, bringing some of the newest snowmaking technology to the resort where snowmaking began in the Lake Tahoe Basin. The addition of these new snow guns will allow Diamond Peak to increase the probability of opening the ski area earlier and with top-to-bottom terrain, even during winters in which the resort is reliant on 100% man-made snow during the early season.
Our tower fan guns utilize advanced nozzle valve technology to ensure optimum energy efficiency and resource conservation during snowmaking operations, while the air cooling system ensures unsurpassed snow output and quality. The portable snow guns are designed to require less maintenance and produce more man-made snow per hour, even during marginal snowmaking conditions.
All of these new snow guns com equipped with integrated snowmaking software systems which optimize snowmaking based on weather conditions and forecasted snow needs and also communicates directly with Diamond Peak’s SNOWsat grooming management software (courtesy of PistenBully), which can provide the snowmaking system with real-time information on snow depths based on Diamond Peak’s snowcat grooming fleet.
The additional fan guns boost Diamond Peak’s snowmaking system of fan guns, high-efficiency snowmaking towers and compressed air-water snowmaking guns, which collectively cover 75% of the developed terrain at Diamond Peak Ski Resort.
2026 update: Diamond Peak is beginning a multi-year project to update and modernize our snowmaking system to increase snowmaking production during limited weather windows, reduce energy usage and maintenance demands, and allow for better automated control over snowmaking operations.
Click here for details on the Snowmaking System Replacement Project
About our SNOWsat Technology
Diamond Peak’s grooming machines are equipped with Pistenbully’s SNOWsat snow depth monitoring technology, allowing our grooming operators to see real-time snow depth information on the slopes as they groom. This data allows our grooming team to ensure an ideal snow surface for skiing and riding, even during lean snow years. The SNOWsat system also tracks all aspects of our snow cats’ operations including run time, gas consumption, GPS tracking on the mountain, and service maintenance, which allows our managers to optimize grooming routes for greater efficiency. Learn more about this technology on the SNOWsat website.
About our Grooming Fleet
Maintaining the resort’s reputation for providing the best corduroy within the Tahoe Basin is an ongoing priority for Diamond Peak, and the investment in a new PistenBully 600 W winch snowcat will ensure the resort is able to meet these goals this winter. With multiple steep runs groomed nightly, including Lightning, Diamondback, Powder, Luggi’s, Show Off and Slalom Glade, the resort’s winch cat is an essential piece of grooming equipment.
All of the groomers in Diamond Peak’s fleet also include PistenBully’s SNOWsat snow depth monitoring system, which allows the resort’s snow surfaces team to more accurately monitor snow depths on the ski runs and see where additional snowmaking is needed throughout the season. The SNOWsat system also tracks all aspects of Diamond Peak’s snowcats operations including run time, diesel consumption, GPS tracking on the mountain, and service maintenance, and communicates directly with the new snow guns when applicable.
We currently have five grooming machines, all PistenBully Park Pro models which give us the ability to shape our terrain parks and tricky slope sections better than ever.