PROSNOW · Project

Snow Prediction Service Helping Ski Resorts Plan Snowmaking Weeks to Months Ahead

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Imagine running a ski resort and having no idea whether you'll need to fire up your expensive snowmaking machines next week — or next month. PROSNOW built a weather-and-snow forecasting tool that tells resort managers what snow conditions to expect from five days out to an entire season ahead. Think of it like a GPS for snow management: instead of guessing, you get a clear route. It was tested across eight real Alpine resorts in France, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy.

By the numbers

Alpine resorts used as real-world test sites

consortium partners across the value chain

countries represented in the consortium (AT, CH, FR, IT)

industry partners involved in co-design

SMEs in the consortium

46%

industry ratio in consortium

project deliverables produced

The business problem

What needed solving

Ski resorts burn through enormous budgets on snowmaking, often running machines reactively because they cannot predict snow conditions more than a day or two ahead. Seasonal uncertainty — will it be a good snow year or a disaster? — forces resorts into expensive worst-case planning. There is no integrated tool that gives resort managers a single, reliable snow outlook from next week through the entire season.

The solution

What was built

A demonstrator (version 2) of an integrated snow prediction system combining weather forecasts (up to 5 days), seasonal climate predictions (up to several months), snowpack models, sensor data, and satellite observations into one decision-support tool. It was tested at eight Alpine resorts across four countries, with 16 deliverables produced in total.

Audience

Who needs this

Ski resort operators and mountain destination management companiesSnowmaking equipment manufacturers looking to add predictive intelligenceCommercial weather and climate service providers targeting winter tourismMountain tourism associations and regional development agenciesInsurance companies underwriting winter sports and ski season revenue

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Ski Resort Operations

any

Target: Ski resort operators and mountain destination companies

If you are a ski resort operator dealing with unpredictable snowfall and rising snowmaking costs — this project developed a prediction system covering five days to several months ahead, tested at eight Alpine resorts. It combines weather forecasts, seasonal climate predictions, and snowpack models so you can schedule snowmaking runs when conditions are optimal, rather than reactively blasting snow when it is already too late.

Snow Technology & Snowmaking Equipment

mid-size

Target: Snowmaking system manufacturers and snow management technology providers

If you are a snowmaking equipment provider looking to add intelligence to your products — this project built a decision-support layer that integrates in-situ sensors, satellite observations, and predictive models into one service. Six industry partners co-designed it, meaning the tool was shaped by real operational needs. Embedding this prediction capability into your systems could differentiate your offering in a competitive market.

Weather & Climate Services

any

Target: Commercial weather service providers targeting mountain tourism

If you are a climate services company seeking new revenue streams — this project demonstrated a commercially exploitable snow prediction service across five Alpine countries. The demonstrator (version 2) was designed as a starting point for commercial rollout, combining seasonal forecasts with snowpack modelling. With 13 consortium partners already validating the approach, the market entry barrier is significantly reduced.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would this system cost a ski resort to adopt?

The project data does not include pricing. However, the system was designed with commercial exploitation in mind after the project ended, and the final demonstrator v2 was built as the starting point for a paid service. Pricing would likely depend on resort size and number of integrated sensors.

Can this scale beyond the eight test resorts?

Yes. The system was designed as an Alpine-wide service covering France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, and Italy. The architecture integrates weather forecasts, seasonal predictions, and snowpack models in a way that can extend to any resort with basic meteorological data. Eight resorts validated it during the project.

Who owns the intellectual property?

IP sits with the 13-partner consortium led by METEO-FRANCE. The project explicitly aimed to initiate commercial exploitation at the end of the project. Licensing terms would need to be negotiated with the consortium, likely through METEO-FRANCE as coordinator.

How far ahead can the system predict snow conditions?

The system covers two ranges: weather-scale forecasts up to five days, and seasonal climate predictions up to several months ahead. These are seamlessly integrated so resort managers get one continuous view rather than separate disconnected forecasts.

Does it work with existing resort monitoring equipment?

The system was co-designed with industry partners and integrates in-situ sensors and remotely-sensed observations. Six industry partners including high-tech snow monitoring providers shaped the tool, so it was built to connect with real operational setups, not just lab equipment.

Is there regulatory or compliance value?

Based on available project data, the system supports real-time climate change adaptation for mountain regions. As climate regulations tighten around water use and energy consumption for snowmaking, having data-driven justification for operational decisions could become a compliance advantage.

What ongoing support or development exists?

The project closed in August 2020 with a final demonstrator v2 explicitly designed as the starting point for future exploitation. METEO-FRANCE, a major national meteorological service, led the consortium, which suggests institutional continuity beyond the project period.

Consortium

Who built it

The 13-partner consortium has a strong commercial orientation with a 46% industry ratio — six industry partners and three SMEs alongside five research institutions and two universities. METEO-FRANCE, France's national meteorological service, leads the project, lending institutional credibility and operational weather data infrastructure. The four-country spread (Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy) covers the core Alpine ski market. The mix of high-tech snow monitoring companies with research weather and climate modellers means the system was built by people who both understand the science and have to sell products to resorts. This is not a lab exercise — it is a consortium structured for commercialisation.

METEO-FRANCECoordinator · FR
JOANNEUM RESEARCH FORSCHUNGSGESELLSCHAFT MBHparticipant · AT
RAMBOLL FRANCE SASparticipant · FR
ACCADEMIA EUROPEA DI BOLZANOparticipant · IT
EIDGENOSSISCHE FORSCHUNGSANSTALT WSLparticipant · CH
UNIVERSITAET FUER BODENKULTUR WIENparticipant · AT
INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE POUR L'AGRICULTURE, L'ALIMENTATION ET L'ENVIRONNEMENTparticipant · FR
UNIVERSITAET INNSBRUCKparticipant · AT
CGX AEROparticipant · FR

How to reach the team

METEO-FRANCE (France) — coordinator. Use SciTransfer's matchmaking service for a direct introduction to the project team.

Order a report on this consortium See METEO-FRANCE profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore licensing the PROSNOW prediction system or integrating it into your resort operations? SciTransfer can arrange a direct introduction to the project team and help structure a technology transfer deal.

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