Family Embraces Cold at the Beach
By Lenore McKenzie-Morris
Photos by Keith Jacobs
It’s official: there’s snow in the forecast for Myrtle Beach resorts.
Not everyone in the area can wait, however.
In an area where residents are used to entertaining themselves on warm sandy beaches, lush green golf courses and beautiful marinas, living outdoors is an integral part of their lifestyle.
The Hudson family of Surfside Beach is one of a few families in the area that took matters into their own hands last week when temperatures dropped into the 20s overnight.
Russ Hudson turned on his homemade snow-machine on Saturday, Jan. 2 and covered his front lawn with snow. It’s been running for several days now, and the Hudson’s front yard has 28 inches of the frozen white stuff and more is promised.
Hudson, a father of four, is married to Jennifer, a native of the Albany, New York region where heavy snowfall is the norm. A native of North Carolina, Hudson was a true child of the South, where a rare snowfall is a cherished event.
/media/images/200_1385.jpg“I grew up in Charlotte,” Hudson said. “Snow happened two or three times a year, but my grandmother loved the snow. We'd both try to be the first to call and say, `It’s snowing at my house, is it snowing at your house?’ When I make snow, I remember her and those times.”
Inspired by his childhood memories and his children’s reaction to a visit to a neighbor’s home where the owner had made snow, Hudson found instructions online at www.snowguns.com and made his own.
“I took my kids to visit someone else in the neighborhood who made snow,” he said. “I saw how happy it made them, so decided to build my own snow machine.”
Using about 240 gallons of water an hour to make snow, Hudson has drawn a crowd of visitors every day.
Jennifer, a teacher at Seaside Elementary School, said there’s a constant stream of visitors.
Photo Gallery
“Every once in a while there’s a moment and you forget all the chaos of everyone in the area wanting to be in your yard,” Jennifer said. “There was a little boy, a 4-year-old, who came last year,” she said. “He’d never seen snow before. He tugged on his Daddy’s coat and said, `Daddy, is this heaven?’
“Those little moments make it worth all the effort,” she said.
And it’s a concerted effort at the Hudson house, where the children are well versed in the requirements for making snow.
/media/images/200_1383.jpg“It has to be cold enough,” said 10-year-old Jack. “Even if it’s 32 degrees, it has to be low humidity.”
Alex, 7, watches the weather on television to keep up with the forecast. He’s already planning to spend the weekend outside in the snow fort the children are building.
“It’s going to be 22 degrees,” he said.
The children, who live just a few blocks from the famous sands of Surfside Beach, like to swim in the ocean, ride boogie boards and visit the nearby water park in the summer, are thrilled with the week-long cold snap that has hit Coastal Carolina. They hope it lasts beyond the weekend so they can continue to play in the snow. When asked if they missed their time on the beach, Alex said no.
“This is 10 times better,” he said. “This is the fourth straight day he’s made snow.”
While brother Jack makes snowballs each night and hides them in the walls of the snow fort, sister Bella, 9, makes plans for her Dad to make more snow.
“We’re building the snow fort,” she said. “We need more ice to make it bigger.”
The Hudsons may get some assistance from Mother Nature on Friday.
Friday’s forecast calls for a 30 percent chance of snow by 9 a.m. The family will probably have the snow around for quite a while since low temperatures are expected to be down in the 20s at night through the weekend.
There are no comments posted. Add yours below.