Conserving snow in Sochi

The next Winter Olympics are a big deal to Vladimir Putine and the ruler of Russia don't want to take any chance in showing the world that Russia is the best.

Besides having already plunked down $51 billion into the two-week extravaganza (out of $10 billion at the outset), he also wants to make sure there's some snow when it's time to entertain the world. So as you probably have heard, the Game organizers plan to stockpile half-a-million cubic meters of snow in some shady gullies and creek beds above the venues.

This feat will be achieved by Snow Secure, a Finnish company. The stored snow will be covered under a 16 inch blanket of sawdust. During summer it will melt some and its density – just like with permanent snowfields before they turn into glaciers - will go from 400 kg/m3 to 600 kg/m3.

When the snow is ready to be used in late Fall or early Winter, it will be shoved down by snow cats or piped to the slopes that need it. The cost of the operation will amount to over $8 million which is probably not (yet) what American ski resorts are ready to pay at the moment!