Killington Just Tested New Snow Guns on 15-Foot Arms Built for the Wind
Killington ran its first major snowmaking test of 2026-27 on Oct. 6, including two new SMI Super Puma fan guns on hydraulic arms. No opening date is set yet.
Killington Resort in Vermont ran its first major snowmaking test of the 2026-27 season on Tuesday, Oct. 6, during a stretch of near-freezing temperatures. The headline hardware was two new SMI Super Puma fan guns on Mouse Trap and Lower Skyeburst, each mounted on a fully automated, hydraulically controlled swing arm more than 15 feet long. Killington says the arms let crews aim for maximum throw and keep coverage up when the wind shifts.
The test came while the Green Mountains were still close to peak foliage, so the first man-made snow of the season landed against a backdrop of red and orange hillsides. It was a systems check, not the start of an opening-day push.
What crews ran on Tuesday
- Six fan guns in three locations: four at the bottom of Superstar, plus the two new Super Pumas.
- New guns where trails merge: Mouse Trap and Lower Skyeburst are wide sections where several trails come together, which Killington says have traditionally been harder to cover with snowmaking.
- Bought and installed this summer: both Super Pumas are new for this winter.
The swing arms are the interesting part for skiers. A fixed fan gun only covers the slope well when the wind cooperates. A gun that can pivot on a long arm can keep laying snow on the trail instead of into the trees, which matters most in the wide merge zones where these two guns now sit.
No opening date yet
Killington says more testing was planned later this week, after which the system should be ready to run whenever temperatures allow. The resort has not announced an estimated opening date for 2026-27. Last season it opened on Nov. 12, according to Unofficial Networks, after crews took advantage of an early November cold snap.
The snowmaking test is one of several pieces falling into place before winter. Helicopter crews finished flying towers for the new Snowdon Quad in September, which we covered in our Snowdon Quad report, and the resort is preparing to host World Cup racing on Superstar again, as covered in our FIS inspection story.
Read the full announcement on Killington's press page. For trip planning, the Killington encyclopedia page covers terrain, lodging and getting there, and sister hill Pico Mountain sits just down Route 4.