B.C. Ski Resort Turns to Giant Snow Blankets to Combat Warming Winters

As climate change continues to impact snowpack levels in British Columbia, Sun Peaks Resort near Kamloops is turning to an innovative—yet surprisingly low-tech—solution to help save its ski season: giant thermal blankets.

This spring, the resort deployed 18 insulated snow mats, each about 300 feet long, over a stockpile of snow high on the mountain. Developed by Finnish company Snow Secure, the blankets are designed to preserve snow throughout the summer, allowing resorts to start the next season earlier and more reliably.

Sun Peaks crews spent the winter months harvesting snow and relocating it to a central location before covering it with the specialized mats. Come fall, the protected snow will be redistributed to help create full-length runs, ideal for training alpine teams.

“It’s fantastic—we can stay home and save some money,” said local ski cross racer Euan Currie, who normally travels to Europe for early-season snow. He’s optimistic that this homegrown solution will give him a competitive edge. “Earlier ski times equals more winning.”

Though new to Canada, this method has been used for decades at European ski resorts. The blankets, made of extruded polystyrene, retain snow by reflecting sunlight and reducing heat absorption. They also include real-time temperature monitoring to assess preservation rates.

Currie’s father, Duncan, who serves as Sun Peaks’ operations director, helped lay out the blankets. He said each one covers the equivalent of four football fields, and even during heat waves, up to 80 per cent of the snow is expected to remain intact.

The resort invested $180,000 in the mats, viewing it as a necessary step to ensure operational stability amid warming winters. “We’re confident the quality of the snow will be what we need for training,” said Duncan.

Meteorologist Johanna Wagstaffe noted that spring snowpack in B.C.’s southern Interior has already declined 20–40 per cent since the 1970s, with projections suggesting an additional 10–40 per cent loss by 2035. “We are going to lose more snow,” she warned, highlighting the urgency for ski resorts to adapt.

Sun Peaks’ communications director, Christina Antoniak, says the real test will come in the fall, when the blankets are removed. She’s hopeful the results will allow for an earlier and more predictable start to the ski season.

“I think it’s going to be a milestone day,” Antoniak said.