YOU 15%. KELLY: TIME NOW FOR THIS WEEK’S ASK KELLY SEGMENT. TODAY'S’QUESTION COMES FROM MICH AEL MCCLOSKY, ON LOCATION. >> HI. I’M MIKE FROM PETERS TNSOWHIP. ALTHOUGH WE HAVE NATURAL SNOW FALLING TODAY, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK KELLY HOW DO THEY MAKE SNOW? KELLY: GREAT QUESTION CHMIL.AE I LOVE THE BACKDROP THERE. IT’S EASY TO THINK THEY JUST FLIP A SWITCH TO TURN ALL THESE SNOWMAKERS ON AT OUR AREA SKI RESORTS, BUT IT’S SO MUCH MORE COMPLEX THAN TT.HA AND 7 SPRINGS, GAVE US A PEEK BEHIND THE CURTA.IN >> YEAH THERE’S NO ELVES THAT COME OUT AT NIGHT. I’VE GOT C AREW OF GUYS THAT ARE HERE, WE’RE HERE 24/7. LLY:KE KIRK RUSSEL HAS BEEN THE HEAD OF SNOWMAKING OPERATIONS FOR 15 YEARS AT 7:00 SPRIN.GS -- SEVEN SPRINGS. AND HAS 4 DECADES OF EXPERIENCE WORKING ON PROPERTY. MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT, SNOWMAKING IS A TOUGH JOB. >> WE ARE GOING TO RUN OVER TO THIS TOWER OVER HERE. KELLY: THERE ARE 1,000 SNOWGUNS TO FILL IN, WHERE MOTHER NATURE LEAVES OFF. THREE INGREDIENTS ARE NEEDED AT EACH. COLD TEMPERATURES, PREFERABLY BELOW 28 DEGREES. AIR PRESSURE. AND WAR.TE THE WATER TO MAKE THE SNOW, IS COLLECTED IN OVER 40 PONDS ACROSS THE PROPERTY. EACH, OUTFITTED WITH DRAINS AND PIPES, TO SEND THE WATER UTOP THE MAIN COLLECTION SITE, LAKE TAHOE, AT THE SUMMIT OF THE MOUNTAIN. >> SOME PLACES USE A MUNICIPAL WATER SUPP.LY THAT CAN BE KIND OF COST.LY AND IF THE WATER IS REALLY PURE ITS NOT AS EASY TO FREEZE. SO THE POND WATER IS ACTUALLY A PLUS FOR US. KELLY: THE TEAM PUMPS ABOUT 12,000 GALLONS A MINUTE OUT OF TAHOE, TO SEND TO ALL THE GUNS. TO GET THE WATER ALL ACROSS PROPERTY IN THE UNDERGRODUN PIPES, YOU NEED THE OTHER INGREDIENT, AIR PRESSURE. THE RESORT HAS TWO OF THESE COMPRESSOR HOUSES WHERE THAT WORK IS DONE. >> IF YOU LOOK AT THE BIG WHITE PIPE COMING IN THAT’S THE INTA.KE SO THAT’S DRAWING COLD AIR FROM OUTSIDE INTO THE COMPRESSOR. THE COMPRESSOR COMPRESSES IT, PUMPS IT BACK OUT THROUGH THIS GRAY LINE AND IT GOES BACK OUT THROUGH A COOLER AND GOES INTO THE SNOWMAKING PIPING. LLKEY: AND YOU KNOW I HAD TO ASK, WHAT IS YOUR ELECTRIC BILL LIKE? >> MANY DIGITS. GOT A LOT OF ZEROES ON IT, I CAN TELL YOU THAT. KELLY: IT’S NOT JUST ENOUGH TO VEHA AIR PRESSURE, AND WATER FEEDING TO EACH MACHINE. SOMEONE HAS TO MANUALLY PLUG IN THE LINES FOR EA.CH >> THIS IS GOING TO BE WATER AND THIS IS GONNA BE THE HEIR OF. -- AIR HOSE. KELLY: AND THEN UNPLUG THEM AT THE END OF THE PROCESS TO KEEP THEM FROM FREEZING. >> YOU WANT TO PULL ITFF O AND RUITN OFF. IT IS PHYSICAL, NOT AN EASY JOB. KELLY: ONE PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY THAT HELPS THE TEAM KN WOWHICH AREAS OF THE MOUNTAIN TO FOCUS ON, IS SONAR. THEY HAVE TWO SNOWCATS THAT CAN TELL HOW DEEP THE SNOW IS ON ANY GIVEN RUN. THAT INFO IS FED BACK TO A COUTMPER, WHERE KURT’S TEAM CAN SEE IT. >> THIS IS CONSTANTLY UPDATED AS THE MACHINES GO OUT AT NIGHT. AND WE CHECK IT EVERY DAY AND KNOW WHAT WE’RE DEALING WITH OUT ERTHE. KELLY: IF THEY NEED TO MOVSOMEE SNOW AROUND TO ADJUST, THEY BRING THE CATS OUT. >> THIS IS HEAVY. KELLY: AFTER A RIDE TO SEE FOR MYSELF, I CAN TELL YOU, IT’AS BUMPY RIDE, NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART. YOU’LL NOTICE ON KURT’S SHIRT THE LETTERS HKD. THAT STANDS FOR HERMAN KRESS DUPRE. HE WAS THE SON OF THE FODEUNR OF 7 SPRINGS. AND THE GODFATHER, OF THIS SNOWMAKING TECHNOLOGY. >> THIS WAS ESSENTIALLY HIS WORKSHOP. AND HE PERFECTED SNOWMAKING HERE AT 7 SPRINGS THROUGH ALL OF THE YES.AR AN D IT GREW AND IT GREW AND IT GREW AND THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW, HE HAD A FULL COMPANY HERE. AND NEXT THING YOU KNOW ALL RESORTS AROUND THE WORLD HAVE HKD SNOW GUNS. KELLY: IN SOME WAYS, IT IS A ' ’THANKLESS JOB.’ THE CREW CAN WORK HARD ALL NIGHT TO MAKE SNOW, ONLY TO WATCH THE DAYTIME SUN MELT IT AWAY. BUT KIRK SAYS THE MAGIC OF SEEING PEOPLE ENJOYING HIS WORK, IS WHAT KEEPS HIM GOG.IN >> IT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE PEOPLE GIVING YOU A HIGH 5. AND PATTING YOU ON THE BACK ENWH YOU’RE OUT THERE MAKING SNOW. AND YOU KNOW THAT THEY REALLY APPRECIATET. I KELLY: TYHE ARE THE REAL HEROES, SAVING SKI SEASONS MANY YEARS. KURT TOLD ME IN AN AVEGERA WINTER, THEY USE ABOUT 400 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER TO MAKE SNOW. BUT BECAUSE THEY HAVE ALL THE PONDS TO CCHAT SNOWMELT AND RAINWATER, SO THEY’RE AT LETAS ABLE TO SA OVEN THE WATER BI.LL IT MIGHT OFFSET THAT HIGH ELECTRICITY BILL. ANDREW: IT REALLY IS A LA