Iowa Family Builds Snow and Ice Lighthouse to Benefit Others

If you thought your snowman was good, you ain't seen nothing yet.

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The Wiersma family in Pella, Iowa just took things to a whole other level. They built a snow lighthouse. And it's not just for looks, it's functional! As you crawl inside the sculpture there is a spiral staircase that leads up to an observation deck. This thing is impressive.

What's even more impressive is that the Wiersma's are using their snow sculpting skills to raise money for others. With all the attention that the snow masterpiece gets, the family is using that to draw attention to a much bigger issue. Water for those in need. The Wiersma's are urging people to donate to The Living Water Project, a non-profit that makes wells for people in impoverished areas of the world. The Wiersma's are looking to provide wells for those in need in Zambia.

It's pretty cool that one, these folks built a lighthouse out of snow and ice, but it's even cooler that it's all for a bigger cause. As Beau Bowman from KCCI reported, "even when it melts, the snow dripping off the snowy structure will have already quenched the thirst of people thousands of miles away from Pella, Iowa."

The snow may be melting, or melted, near you, but you'll have an opportunity to make a snow masterpiece of your own That's because we've got more winter weather on the way Friday. With the snow on the way, you may want to start planning a fun snow sculpture for your family now.

Coldest Morning in Cedar Rapids History

On January 31, 2019, the mercury in Cedar Rapids hit -30. That's the actual temperature that morning, which set the new record for the coldest temperature in Cedar Rapids history, with records dating back to 1893. The previous all-time record low temperatures for the city was -29 on January 15, 2009.