Snowed In? Bored? Build a Snow Structure!

February 20, 2013

As I write this, the Kansas City area is facing a potentially major snowstorm. By the time you read this, you and your families may be snowed in. I expect to be, as my driveway drifts quite badly in heavy snow and wind and requires more than just a shovel to excavate my way to the street. So, what do you do with your time if work or school are called off and driving is best left to snow plow operators and emergency vehicles? Want to go outside and do something? Allow me to suggest a fun DIY project that can be enjoyed by adults and kids alike: build a snow structure.

There is, of course, the venerable "pile up a bunch of snow, compact it some, and hollow it out from the inside" method. You can even hollow out a particularly large drift if one is available. If the snow is deep enough, you can also make a trench shelter. Dig a long rectangular trench in the snow perpendicular to the prevailing wind direction. Cover it with a tarp, leaving an opening to enter the shelter.

However, for sturdy and impressive snow structures, it's best to do as the Inuit do: use blocks of compacted snow. How do you get blocks of compacted snow? When I was a kid, my sister and I had a set of plastic igloo block molds that were really helpful in building snow structures, and I know that similar products are available today. But all you really need is some sort of container, like a small trash can or five-gallon bucket. Simply fill it full of snow and compact until full, turn it upside down, shake, and voila! Instant igloo block. The blocks will probably not fit together perfectly, but you can always fill in the gaps in your structure with more snow.

An excellent base for snowball fights can be constructed by such blocks. If you're feeling really motivated, you could build an actual igloo. Way back when I was a Boy Scout, we simply built walls and used a tarp for a roof. For extra insulation, you can cover the tarp with snow, but you need a center pole slightly taller than the walls to prevent the tarp from sagging excessively under the weight of the snow. While survival type shelters are fun to build, why not get more creative and build a snow castle! A snow ziggurat! A snow Hogwarts! OK, maybe that last one might be a bit ambitious without the proper spells...

Jeff D.
Grandview Branch

Image Credit: "Castle Grayskull" by Flickr user carbonfibreme via Flickr's Creative Commons.