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Snowmaking at Falls Creek: behind the scenes of winter

Updated 21 May 2026

While most guests are asleep, Falls Creek’s snowmaking and grooming teams are hard at work across the resort turning cold temperatures into quality snow conditions.  

From the glow of snow guns lighting up Wombat’s Ramble to groomers shaping runs before sunrise, snowmaking plays a huge role in helping deliver the Falls Creek winter experience from June through to spring.   

As part of our ongoing investment in the guest experience, Falls Creek has continued to enhance and expand its snowmaking capabilities across the resort in recent years, helping maximise snow production opportunities whenever temperatures drop. These upgrades allow our teams to respond quickly to favourable conditions and efficiently build and maintain key terrain throughout the season.

Building reliable winter conditions  

Snowmaking is one of the most important tools in helping create a consistent and reliable snow experience across the resort. Located across much of our beginner and intermediate terrain, Falls Creek’s snowmaking network helps provide quality coverage on some of our most popular runs, including Wombat’s Ramble, Drovers Dream, Main Street, Nastar, Broadway, Scott's and Ruined Castle.

Reliable snowmaking coverage is especially important during the early season, helping guests access more terrain sooner and supporting progression areas used by beginner skiers and snowboarders, Snowsports lessons and family holidays.  

One of the most recent upgrades to Falls Creek’s snowmaking network included enhanced automated snowmaking on Drovers Dream, one of the resort’s most popular beginner and low intermediate areas. Running alongside Falls Creek’s terrain parks and overlooking Rocky Valley Lake, Drovers Dream plays an important role in creating accessible learning terrain early in the season.  

The addition of modern automated Techno Alpin snow guns across the resort has improved efficiency and allowed the team to maximise snowmaking opportunities during cold weather windows. These upgrades support improved early season terrain access and help maintain quality conditions later into spring. 

Recent snowmaking investments at Falls Creek  

Over recent years, Vail Resorts has invested heavily into the guest experience at Falls Creek, with a strong focus on snowmaking infrastructure, grooming and on-mountain operations.  

Recent snowmaking investments at Falls Creek include:  

  • Automated snowmaking on Drovers Dream and Panorama terrain park.  

  • Replaced snowmaking compressors with new machines in the central pumphouse located at the base of Towers Chairlift, improving efficiency and reliability. 

  • Adding new automated snowmaking guns across the resort and two modern, energy efficient Pistenbully snow grooming cats to our extensive fleet. 

  • Replacing all snowmaking on Main Street with a modern automated system to maximize snowmaking opportunities, allowing the run to open earlier and close later each season. 

  • Expanded automated snowmaking coverage on Wombat’s Ramble. 

  • Replaced snowmaking pipes at the base of Ruined Castle chairlift to improve water flow and efficiency. 

  • Continued investments into snow grooming equipment and snow fences across the resort.  

These ongoing improvements help Falls Creek make snow, move snow and catch snow all season long, supporting quality conditions from opening day through to the spring skiing season.  

Our heroes of the night 

Importantly, our hard-working snowmaking and grooming teams, who we call the heroes in the night, work tirelessly behind the scenes to help deliver the best possible experience on mountain.  

Working overnight in freezing alpine conditions, these teams monitor weather windows, operate snowmaking systems across the resort and prepare terrain ready for guests each morning. Their work plays a critical role in creating the conditions guests enjoy throughout the winter season.  

When temperatures allow, snowmaking teams move quickly to maximise every opportunity, working closely with grooming crews to build and maintain quality snow coverage across key terrain.  

 

Preparing for winter 

As temperatures begin to drop and winter approaches, Falls Creek’s Mountain Operations teams are once again preparing for another exciting season on the slopes.  

Keep an eye on our social channels for more updates as we continue to prepare the mountain for opening day on Saturday 6 June 2026. 

Don't miss the best value lift access this season. Ride any 4 days of the season for only $163/day with the Epic Australia 4-Day Pass or unlock unlimited laps with the Epic Australia Pass. Be quick, Pass prices rise 27 May!   

Book early to secure the best accommodation in the beautiful Falls Creek village, explore more of the mountain with a lesson from our Snowsports School and get your gear from Falls Creek Sports for rentals made easy