Artificial snow is small particles of ice that are used to increase the amount of snow available for winter sports such as skiing or snow boarding. It is produced by a machine that uses a high-pressure pump to spray a mist of water into the cold air. The water droplets subsequently crystallize to form fake snow. The first commercially successful machines were developed in the 1950s and improvements in technology have steadily been introduced. With the increase in the popularity of winter sports, the artificial snow market is expected to show significant growth.