Future-Proof Through Digital Snow Management With The ARENA Master Plan

The demands placed on ski teams are increasing almost annually. Climate change, rising energy costs, and the shortage of highly qualified personnel are putting ski resorts under increasing pressure. However, the ARENA Master Plan provides a digital management tool that combines internal and external data sources, enabling sound, data-driven, and partially automated decisions. The result: greater efficiency, more snow reliability, and a sustainable foundation for the economic operation of ski resorts.

What is the master plan?

The ARENA Master Plan forms the strategic heart of ARENA's slope management. The master plan summarizes predefined target snow depths and water levels for each hydrant area and each slope section. This not only enables a target-to-actual comparison of snow cover, but also historical trends and the integration of external data open up a wide range of analysis options. The master plan can also define targeted action instructions for different scenarios throughout the season. This ensures that the slope team is optimally prepared for changing weather conditions at any time of the season and knows exactly which approach is required for maximum resource efficiency and the best possible slope conditions. The ARENA Master Plan thus becomes the strategic foundation for data-driven decision-making.

Internal data

The ARENA Master Plan is based on internal data collected at various locations throughout the ski area. The most important data source is, of course, comprehensive snow depth measurements, which are used to determine the snow cover daily with centimeter precision. At the same time, the actual snow depth is compared with the predefined target snow depth. This indicates how much snow is needed in each individual section to keep the slopes in optimal condition until the scheduled end of the season. Additional data comes from the individual snowmaking points, among other sources. The position and orientation of the individual snowmaking points, water consumption, hydrant structure, and important key figures such as the actual water-snow ratio or the required snow volume for each section are incorporated into the master plan. This allows for precise determination of resource consumption, helps eliminate snow eaters, and creates planning reliability throughout the entire season.

External data

In addition to the internally collected data, external weather data also flows into the ARENA Master Plan. The most important source for this is the SnowGrid from GeoSphere Austria. This provides a precise overview of the current natural snow conditions in the Alpine region. This allows the need for artificial snow for different altitudes and specific locations to be determined and coordinated with the planned artificial snowmaking in the ski area. The SnowGrid also enables precise meteorological forecasts, which make it possible to determine ideal windows for artificial snowmaking. Furthermore, with its 100x100 meter grid, the SnowGrid is very dense, making it possible to precisely control snowmaking and cover critical piste sections first. The absolutely reliable forecasts for new snow should also not be neglected. This allows, under certain circumstances, the artificial snowmaking of entire sections to be adjusted or completely suspended without losing snow volume.

Season planning

Even viewed individually, all of this data is very insightful. However, its full potential is only realized when the various data sets are brought together and combined. Based on snow data from previous years, for example, the ideal snow cover can be determined for each period of the season. This way, you know at any time how much snow is needed where. In combination with current weather data, this means that snowmaking can begin earlier in the fall. Snow depots can also be created towards the end of the season in good time to prevent premature melting. Furthermore, the in-depth analysis of all snowmaking points allows you to re-evaluate the positioning and orientation of snow guns. Their efficiency can also be significantly increased by making optimal use of snowmaking windows and only starting snowmaking when all factors are right and conditions are ideal.

(Partially) automated snowmaking

The ARENA Master Plan thus becomes the strategic foundation for data-driven decisions that ultimately help save money and resources. The integration of the Master Plan into the ARENA platform also significantly simplifies and streamlines the daily work of the piste team. The platform communicates directly with the snowmaking system. The activation and deactivation of snow guns can thus be automated, ensuring optimal and time-saving use of snowmaking windows and avoiding overproduction. This ensures that only as much artificial snow is produced at any given time as is actually needed. This leads to a highly efficient use of natural resources and simultaneously improves the quality of the slopes throughout the entire season.

ARENA slope management

With innovation and vision, ARENA Piste Management supports ski areas in mastering future challenges and remaining attractive and profitable in the long term.

You can find all information about ARENA's range of services here