Snowmaking Project Upgrade 2023 – 2025

Avid skiers and snowboarders at Terry Peak know that our snowmaking system is the foundation of exceptional early-season coverage and consistently great snow conditions throughout the winter.

While the Black Hills typically receive 150 inches or more of natural snowfall each year, snowmaking plays a vital role during lean snow years by helping maintain reliable conditions and extending terrain availability throughout the season.

To enhance the guest experience, Terry Peak recently invested $6.5 million in a comprehensive snowmaking system upgrade. This project increases water pumping capacity from 1,000 gallons per minute to 3,000 gallons per minute, expands the number of snowmaking guns, and increases snowmaking coverage to approximately 85% of the ski area.

These improvements will allow Terry Peak to open more terrain earlier in the season while providing more consistent, high-quality snow conditions throughout the winter.

Terry Peak is proud to partner with HKD Snowmakers and Snow Mountain Services, whose expertise and professional consulting have been instrumental in the successful planning and implementation of this major project. Together, we are building a stronger, more reliable snowmaking system for seasons to come.

Phase 1 (2023–2024)

During the 2023–2024 season, Terry Peak Ski Area partnered with HKD Snowmakers, Torrent Engineering, and Snow Mountain Services to design and implement a major upgrade to the resort’s snowmaking system.

HKD Snowmakers is a recognized leader in the snowmaking industry, known for its innovative approach and commitment to helping ski areas maximize efficiency and performance. The new HKD Impulse 12 Nozzle Guns feature KLICK Technology, making them easier and safer for operators to use while simplifying air-to-water adjustments in the field.

A key component of the project was tripling the system’s water-pumping capacity—from 1,000 gallons per minute to 3,000 gallons per minute—enabling significantly more terrain to be covered when temperatures are ideal for snowmaking. The project also included replacing aging underground water lines, installing new hydrants, and upgrading snowmaking equipment across the mountain.

Construction began in the spring of 2024, with crews replacing underground infrastructure and installing permanent HKD snow guns. Expanded snowmaking coverage was added to:

• Snowstorm
• Welcome
• Kussy
• Ben Hur
• Holy Terror
• Millsite

Another major milestone was replacing the snowmaking pond liner and installing a new high-capacity submersible pump. Once the pump was in place, the Terry Peak team completed the installation, preparing the upgraded system for the 2024–2025 snowmaking season.

Phase 2 (2025)

Work continued in the spring of 2025 with the goal of expanding snowmaking to terrain that previously had little or no snowmaking coverage.

New snowmaking infrastructure was added to:

• Missing Link
• Little Hope
• Upper Stewart
• Little Phil

These improvements will provide more reliable early-season coverage and help maintain consistent snow conditions throughout the winter on even more of Terry Peak’s terrain.

Now all we need are cold temperatures—and our snowmaking team!

It’s full speed ahead for another great season at Terry Peak.