Homemade Snow For Christmas

By Larissa Lytwyn

Ian McChord, a 15-year-old sophomore at Newtown High School, has loved skiing since he first learned the sport when he was a toddler.

“My whole family is really into skiing,” he said. “It’s a real passion of mine.”

In the near future, Ian said, he would like to become a professional ski instructor — or at least have some job on a ski resort.

“It’s something I would really love to do,” he said.

A few years ago, Ian began imagining what it would be like to be able to ski in his own backyard, any time he wanted.

He discovered a website, snowguns.com, a forum of like-minded teens and adults who were working on assembling homemade snow guns, or machines.

“A real home snow machine costs at least $3,000,” said Ian. “My first snow gun, that I got to work last year, cost about $35.”

This year, he produced an even more powerful snow gun, at a cost of around $150.

So, what do you need to make a snow machine?

“All you need for snow is to push out a high volume of water at very cold temperatures,” explained Ian.

His snow machine consists of an air compressor attached to a water hose that is hooked up to a slender oil nozzle.

When turned on, the compressor pushes the water through the tiny nozzle to produce a whipping white stream of real snow.

“The key is to have a really tiny nozzle,” said Ian, “and you have to do it when it’s coldest out, like early morning, around 3 am.”

Ian chuckled as he reflected on the many nights he had inadvertently woken his older brother, now a student at the Rochester Institute of Technology, in Rochester, N.Y., his older sister, a senior at Newtown High School, and his parents, Holt and Shelby McCord.

“Yeah, it got a bit annoying,” he admitted, smiling a bit sheepishly. But now, his family believes it was worth it.

“They didn’t think it was possible at first,” said Ian. “But it obviously was, and is!”

Ian has used a prominent slope in his back yard to create a firmly packed snow bank, in some areas 10 inches deep.

“The machine can produce about two to three inches an hour, across a 10- by 10-foot area,” said Ian. “Obviously, it’s not comparable to a snow gun at a major ski resort, but its perfect for the home ski area!”

Ms McChord said she was proud of and excited for her son.

“He really was happy to get this set up in time for Christmas,” she said. “He said he couldn’t wait for a white Christmas, he had to bring it himself!”