If you ask a bunch of weekend snow bunnies, chances are they will declare a preference for natural over man-made snow.
But is it better? And could they tell the difference on a typical run at any alpine resort in Australia, aside from the aesthetics of exposed grass beside their ski runs?
Probably not, on both counts says Steve Lee, who has represented Australia at three Winter Olympics, and Geoff Lipshut, the chief executive of the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia, which is training our next crop of winter athletes.
This weekend alpine resorts in Victoria and NSW are expected to have their best week of what's been a meagre season for snow, with some 20 to 40 centimetresexpected.
Little beats the delicate beauty of snow flakes, which are about 35 per cent water, mixed with air. Artificial snow fired from guns at resorts is 50 to 60 per cent water.
The man-made snow, however, is "way more durable," Mr Lee said. "Once it's laid, it can last."
Internationally, all major events are run on artificial snow because the courses often need to withstand 70 to 80 races, a load that would create "massive holes" if left to nature, he said.
"In my day, if you were outside the top 20, it would be pretty much trashed," said Mr Lee, who competed in the 1984, 1988 and 1992 Games.
Australia's ski resorts began July with little, if any, natural snow. Spencers Creek had a cover of just 4.5 centimetres as of July 9, a fraction of the snow cover a year ago.
Mr Lipshut said the dense artificial snow is also more resistant to rain, making for an ideal base. Except for fresh falls, most skiers won't be able to tell the difference, he said.
"You really have to be able to feel a lot through the edges of your skis to pick it," he said.
That's especially the case on most ski runs, where resorts combine snow guns with other equipment to prepare the cover overnight.
"Once it's been cut up and groomed by the machines, no one can tell" what is artificial or natural, Mr Lipshut said.
Mr Lee said Australia's fickle weather means resort operators have become so expert in "chasing pockets of cold air around the mountain" that snow-gun makers tend to test their newest technology here.
"If you can make snow in Australia, you can make it anywhere in the world," he said.
Richard Phillips, marketing manager at the Perisher resort, said that consistently cold conditions and low humidity over the past month have enabled snow guns to operate at full tilt.
"These are the ideal conditions for snowmaking and has allowed Perisher to deliver some good skiing and boarding," he said.
"The cold front that is about to hit us here in Perisher looks like it will deliver a significant amount of snow, but we will continue to make snow, as conditions allow, to improve the snow cover and experience for our guests."
Mr Lipshut said while climate change will likely leave resorts more reliant on snow-making to fill declines in natural snow, the use of snow guns is already an industry fixture.
"Except for the really high mountains ... most ski resorts anywhere would struggle without snowmaking in the first half of their season," he said.
Bullish on Mt Buller
Melbourne-based Jason Orr and his family this week wrapped up several days of enjoyable skiing on Mt Buller, which has had little natural snow this season.
"The bottom line for Mt Buller - no man-made snow would have meant no base up there and no skiing this year, and no jobs and income from the mountain," Mr Orr said.
Laurie Blampied, general manager of Buller Ski Lifts, said the mountain resort has made the most of the ideal snowmaking conditions, creating snow with a 50 per cent water content.
"This has allowed us to pump out close to 275,000 cubic metres of snow which equates to approximately 110 Olympic sized swimming pools," Mr Blampied said. "It's meant we've been able to deliver a snow product for visitors since the beginning of the season."
For snowmaking, the resorts use a lot of energy and also need to have access to ample water supplies. Perisher, for instance, can tap Guthega Dam, but Mt Buller's water resources are more restricted at least until a second dam is built.
"This level of snowmaking is great for the resort, and whilst it does begin to deplete our snowmaking reserves we are recharging our water storage facilities on a continual basis in order to keep up with snowmaking requirements," Mr Blampied said.
