Milano Cortina Games needs artificial snow
The Winter Olympics will depend on artificial snow to ensure consistent conditions despite environmental concerns, even though Alpine events  will take place in the Dolomites range at 1,800 metres above sea level
MAN-MADE SNOW
2.4 million cubic metres of snow, requiring 948,000 litres of water
Weather station
Fan
Water flow
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
Atomisation
High-pressure cold water released as fine droplets
Evaporation
Droplets cool and expand with change in pressure
Nucleation
Bacterial fragments added – around which droplets crystallise
Convection
Fan cools, disperses crystals
1m3 water=
2.5m3 snow
ALTITUDES OF WINTER GAMES
Highest venue elevation
Vancouver 2010 2m
Sapporo 1972 29m
Beijing 2022 43m
Sochi 2014 65m
Milano Cortina 122m
Grenoble 1968 214m
Torino 2006 239m
Oslo 1952 242m
Lillehammer 1994 242m
Albertville 1992 352m
Nagano 1998 411m
Lake Placid 1980 549m
Sarajevo 1984 550m
Innsbruck 1976 574m
Pyeongchang 2018 700m
Garmisch-Partenkirchen 1936 708m
Chamonix 1924 1035m
Calgary 1988 1045m
Cortina d’Ampezzo 1956 1224m
Salt Lake City 2002 1288m
St Moritz 1928 1822m
Squaw Valley 1960 1900m
Highest altitude venue: Aiguille du Midi 3840m (1924)
Sources: TechnoAlpin, Phys.org
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