A snowmaking system starts with one essential piece of equipment: the snow gun. The snow gun is where water and compressed air are combined and transformed into tiny droplets that can freeze in the air and become real snow.
But not every snow gun is designed for the same application. The right model depends on the size of your area, how much snow you want to produce, and how much water you want to put through the system.
Backyard Snowstorm offers three snow gun sizes, each designed for a different level of snowmaking.
How Does a Snow Gun Work?
A snow gun is designed to replicate the basic process that happens when natural snow forms. Water is broken into extremely small droplets and introduced into cold, dry air. Compressed air helps create the conditions needed for those droplets to freeze as they travel through the air.
The design of the snow gun—including its nozzles and how water and air are combined—plays an important role in determining how effectively it can produce snow.
The amount of water flowing through the snow gun also affects how much snow you can produce. For the Forecaster and Cold Front, higher water flow means higher potential snow output, provided the weather conditions are right.
Snow production is measured in inches of snow per hour. As a general approximation, 1 GPM of water flow can produce about 1 inch of snow per hour when conditions are suitable.
Choosing the Right Snow Gun
The biggest question when choosing a snow gun is simple: How much snow do you want to make, and how much space do you want to cover?
A small backyard sledding area doesn't require the same equipment as someone building a larger backyard ski hill or snow park. Backyard Snowstorm's three snow guns allow you to choose a system that fits your goals.
Little Cloud
The Little Cloud is the smallest and simplest of the three snow guns. It's designed for people who want to make snow without needing a pressure washer or high-pressure pump.
The Little Cloud connects to a standard garden hose for its water supply and uses an air compressor to help create snow. Its snow output is fixed at approximately 1 inch per hour, with coverage of about 5 feet by 12 feet.
With a throw distance of up to approximately 12 feet, the Little Cloud is well suited for smaller areas, including walkways, small sledding areas, and decorative snow.
Water source: Garden hose
Snow output: Approximately 1" per hour
Coverage: Approximately 5' × 12'
Air compressor: At least 4.5 CFM @ 90 PSI
Expandable: No
Forecaster
The Forecaster is our most popular snow gun and is designed to give homeowners more flexibility and higher snow output. It works with common pressure washers or high-pressure pumps and can accommodate 1–6 GPM of water flow.
Because the Forecaster's output is tied to water flow, you can adjust how much snow you're making by using a pressure washer with a different GPM rating. At the upper end of its capacity, the Forecaster can produce approximately 6 inches of snow per hour when conditions allow.
It can cover approximately 12 feet by 25–50 feet, with a throw distance of roughly 25–50 feet, depending on water flow and weather conditions.
The Forecaster is also expandable, allowing you to add additional pressure washers as your snowmaking setup grows.
Water source: Pressure washer or pump
Snow output: Approximately 1–6" per hour
Coverage: Approximately 12' × 25–50'
Water flow: 1–6 GPM
Air compressor: At least 5 CFM @ 90 PSI
Expandable: Yes
Cold Front
The Cold Front is built for higher-output snowmaking and larger backyard areas. It is designed to work with higher-flow pressure washers or pumps and can handle up to 10 GPM of water flow.
At its full capacity, the Cold Front can produce approximately 5–10 inches of snow per hour when weather conditions are favorable. It can cover approximately 20 feet by 25–80 feet, with a throw distance of up to approximately 80 feet.
Like the Forecaster, the Cold Front is expandable, giving you the ability to increase your snowmaking capacity over time.
Water source: Pressure washer or pump
Snow output: Approximately 5–10" per hour
Coverage: Approximately 20' × 25–80'
Water flow: 1–10 GPM
Air compressor: At least 5 CFM @ 90 PSI
Expandable: Yes
Snow Gun Capacity Matters
When comparing snow guns, it's important to look beyond the size of the gun itself. The amount of water your system can supply has a major impact on how much snow you can make.
The Little Cloud has a fixed water flow and output, while the Forecaster and Cold Front can handle increasing amounts of water flow. This makes the larger models particularly useful if you want to expand your snowmaking system over time.
The Forecaster can handle up to 6 GPM, while the Cold Front can handle up to 10 GPM. Both can be used with multiple pressure washers, allowing you to start with a smaller setup and add capacity later.
What Else Does a Snow Gun Need?
Although the snow gun is the centerpiece of the system, it doesn't operate by itself.
All three Backyard Snowstorm snow guns require an air compressor. The Little Cloud requires at least 4.5 CFM at 90 PSI, while the Forecaster and Cold Front require at least 5 CFM at 90 PSI.
The water source depends on the model. The Little Cloud uses a standard garden hose, while the Forecaster and Cold Front use a pressure washer or high-pressure pump.
For the Forecaster and Cold Front, the pressure washer needs to provide at least 1,000 PSI. Increasing pressure beyond 1,500 PSI does not improve snow quality or snow output; water flow is the more important factor when determining how much snow these snow guns can produce.
Which Snow Gun Is Right for You?
Choosing a snow gun really comes down to your space, your snowmaking goals, and the equipment you want to use.
If you want a simple system for a small area, the Little Cloud provides an easy entry point without requiring a pressure washer.
If you want a versatile system for a typical backyard and the ability to expand your setup, the Forecaster is an excellent all-around choice.
If you're looking to produce significantly more snow and cover a larger area, the Cold Front provides the highest capacity of our three residential-focused snow guns.
No matter which model you choose, your snow gun is the equipment that turns your water supply and compressed air into the snow you've been waiting for.
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