Airman celebrates early winter with giant snowman family

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Yash Rojas
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  For some, the upcoming holiday season is a time to spend in the company of family and friends, but for the Clark Griswolds of the world, wintry weather means it is time to decorate to the extreme.

Tech. Sgt. Brian Fentress, 354th Maintenance Group senior maintenance operations center controller, worked more than fifty hours on several snowmen with one snowman standing 10 feet tall -- 12 feet if you count the hat.

"I didn't even think it was possible to make a snowman here," said Fentress.

Fentress completed the family project just before November's winter cold snap. In Interior Alaska, building a snowman takes time because of the snow make-up. Dropping temperatures and reduced moisture produce a powdery material not ideal for snowballs or snowmen unlike the wetter, stickier snow in the lower United States. So, Fentress build the snowman family in stages.

"I would pile up about 12 inches of snow and then press it down," said Fentress.

Like any regular snowman, this giant specimen comes complete with eyes, nose, a mouth, and even a hat. The nose is a bowling pin; the snowman's eyes and buttons are made of cutout vegetable cans, and the hat is a trash can with the outside rim of a tabletop.

According to Fentress, neighbors also helped out with additional snow and decorations to complete the winter landmark. They even allowed use of their lawn to showcase the snowman family.

"I'm hoping our snowmen will last until the beginning of June," said Fentress. "I'm predicting a really cold winter, so they will be around for awhile."

Winter has arrived, but some still manage to drive by the Fentress residence to catch a glimpse of the giant snowman and his family.

The Fentress family welcomes each passerby encouraging a photo or two of their giant snowman and snowman family. Most do not seem bothered by record-breaking temperatures, which according to the National weather Service have seldom crept above zero since Nov.13.

"I see them in the morning when their flash goes off," said Eleni, Fentress' wife. "No matter what the temperature is, people are still taking photos out there."

With the support of his family and interest of his neighbors, Fentress plans on building his snowman bigger and better next year now that he has a little more experience.