BOISE COUNTY, Idaho — Bogus Basin uncovered a massive pile of snow this week that has been stored beneath insulated panels since March, marking another step toward winter operations as colder temperatures and snowmaking conditions move into the forecast.
The mountain operations team removed the insulated panels covering the snow pile on the lower section of Coach's Corner today. Despite record-low snowfall during the 2025/26 winter season, the team stored more snow than the previous year.
When covered in late March, the pile measured approximately 35 feet high, 80 feet wide and 330 feet long. Months later, approximately 60% of the original pile remained beneath the panels. Throughout the summer, exterior surface temperatures reached 118 degrees, while temperatures beneath the panels averaged just 34.7 degrees.
For the second year, Bogus Basin preserved snow through the summer using insulated, weather-resistant panels manufactured by Snow Secure, a Finnish company specializing in snow storage. The system limits summer melting, allowing the snow to be reused to help establish a base for winter operations.
Last year, Bogus Basin became the first ski area in the nation to pilot Snow Secure technology. When the panels were removed in October 2025, nearly three-fifths of the original snow pile remained, despite exterior temperatures that reached 119 degrees during the summer.
The success of the pilot quickly drew attention well beyond Idaho, generating regional and national media coverage along with significant interest across the ski industry. The project became part of a growing conversation about using snow storage as a tool to improve early-season reliability while reducing the water and energy required for snowmaking.
In the year since the pilot, other North American ski areas have followed suit and invested in Snow Secure technology, including Snowmass and Buttermilk Resorts in Colorado, Big Sky Resort in Montana, Powder Mountain and Soldier Hollow in Utah, and Proctor Academy in New Hampshire.
It is a development that Bogus Basin Director of Operations Nate Shake anticipated last fall.
"Both environmentally and economically, this is the next innovation for the North American ski industry," Shake said.
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