Dartmouth Dad and Son Build Backyard Snow Machine for Sledding

While most of us were bundled up grumbling about the bitter cold on Tuesday, one Dartmouth family was doing the exact opposite. They were celebrating it.

A local father-and-son duo turned freezing temps into pure backyard magic after building their very own snowmaking machine and going sledding right at home.

TJ McGoff and his fourth-grade son Everette transformed their front yard into a winter wonderland, laying down several inches of fresh-made snow just in time for some evening sledding – and even a quick run at 5 a.m. Wednesday morning before school.

From Curious Question to Full-Blown Snowstorm

It all started with a simple question from Everette: “How do ski resorts make snow?” That curiosity sparked an idea, and McGoff ran with it in full dad-engineer mode.

“We put together a little snowmaking machine to put some snow on our front lawn for a white Christmas,” McGoff said, and what began as a small experiment quickly turned into full-yard coverage.

READ MORE: New Bedford Residents Could Face Fines for Improper Snow Removal

Using a combination of air fittings, a compressor, and a pressure washer, they were able to spray and freeze real snow right onto the lawn. After a few cold-weather hiccups and some equipment setbacks, they cracked the code.

“We had a few failures before success,” McGoff laughed. Once it worked, however, three to four inches of real snow covered the yard.

And yes, Everette absolutely put it to use.

Sledding Before Sunrise

“It melted a little overnight,” McGoff said. "But Everette actually went sledding again this morning before school.”

While most kids were hitting the "snooze" button, Everette was flying down his own personal sled run before sunrise. That’s what you call starting the school day right.

Let’s be honest, this officially makes the rest of us dads look like we’re still stacking blocks on the living room floor (because that's all I'm doing these days).

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Mom Captures the Moment

Everette’s mom Nina McGoff posted the video of her son sledding with the perfect caption:

“When your kid asks how do ski resorts make snow & your hubby decides to show him," she wrote.

With temperatures already cooperating, the timing couldn’t have been better. No shovel, no plows, no storm drama – just snow exactly where you want it and sledding exactly when you need it most.

Happy holidays, McGoff family, and thanks for making the rest of us wish we owned a pressure washer.