Jacques Fournier extends a parka-clad arm, hoping to catch a snowflake on his sleeve to check its quality.
The wind is too strong for it to stick.
"The operator has to follow the wind direction all the time," said Fournier, his face reddened by the wind and cold, as he stood near a whirring TechnoAlpin TF10 snow gun on what will be the cross-country skiing course for the Winter Olympics in February.