Many families like to spend a snow day inside, but what about multiple snow days in a row?
One Bay City family seized the opportunity by creating a family project outside. A giant snowman took 15 hours and stands nearly 16 feet tall now.
"We had every intentions of trying to build one for Christmas, but there wasn't any snow. Once we got into February with a million snow days, we figured it was time to build a snowman," Mark Hartman said.
A typical snowman might be built with a corncob pipe, a button nose, and his eyes made out of coal, but Mark and his family went on a scavenger hunt around the house for some nontraditional items.
"The buttons are cauldrons from Halloween decorations. The bow, our 12-year-old daughter sewed it together. The scarf is drapes. The nose is a traffic cone. The eyes are little Velcro tennis ball holders. The top is a tire, and the hat is a garbage can," Hartman said.
Just needing spray paint and a traffic cone, Mark and Emily spent a grand total of about 6 dollars. They even managed to get the entire family involved, including Russell, who is just 5-years-old.
On snow days, it's typical to see a child on electronics, but Emily Moore says they need more.
"They just need more interaction with other people, with fresh air, teamwork, and all kinds of stuff that we did as kids that they don't do now," Moore said.
Mark and Emily are hoping to send a positive message to the community, and so far, they're responding very well.
"People are driving by. They're complimenting me. They're calling me. People I haven't talked to in years are like, "Oh my God! I love it!" Moore said.
Hartman added aside from community building, it also encourages safety. The added bonus is since people are slowing down to see their snowman, it's safer for children playing in the neighborhood.