Now that Charlotte will be officially colder than Alaska for the next week or so thanks to a freak artic cold front, many Charlotteans are getting creative with how to entertain themselves…and their kids.

Without any precipitation expected all week, snow-making seems to be at the top of many people’s lists.

It won’t be cold enough to make snow by throwing boiling water in the air (it needs to be −30 °F or colder for that to work), and simply spraying your garden hose in the air will just make sleet or freezing rain.

To make real snow, you’ll need to make your own snowgun, using the following items (via Wikihow.com);

• Air compressor
• Pressure washer
• 1/4” cap – 1
• 1/4” NPT Tee – 1
• 1/4”close hex nipple – 1
• 1/4” x 2” pipe nipple – 4
• 1/4″ Female Ball or Gate Valve – 2
• Female garden hose adapter – 1

If all the fittings 1/4” NPT fittings they will fit together snuggly. They should be assembled in the following order;

• Screw the cap onto one end of the hex nipple.
• Connect one of the vertical ends of the Tee to the other end of the nipple.
• On the other end of the Tee (directly across from the hex nipple), connect the 2” nipple. This should leave one smooth side on the Tee, and one remaining opening.
• Connect one gate or ball valve to the other end of the 2” nipple. On the other side of the valve, connect the other 2” nipple.
• On the remaining opening of the Tee, connect a 2” nipple. Next, the other valve should be attached. On the other side of the ball valve, attach the last 2” nipple.
• Finally, the female garden hose adapter should be attached to end of the 2” nipple.

Connect the pressure washer to the female garden hose adapter and connect the air compressor to the 2″ nipple.

Then install your snowmaker onto a large pole or stand at least 6 feet in the air.

Tips:

• The air compressor should be able to pump 8 CFM at 40 PSI or 6-7 CFM at 90 PSI. You can find this on the side of your air compressor. Turn on your water. The air and water pressure should stay around 40-50 PSI.
• Don’t let your air pressure get higher than your water pressure.

Charlotte Meteorologist Brad Panovich build one of these snowmakers a few years back and today he’s been giving it a run for its money;

Have you tried to make snow in your backyard?

Let us know how it went in the comments below!

This week Charlotte (and the rest of the South East) is experiencing a massive arctic air cold front.

In this unique weather phenomena, the isolated band of cold air is creating a situation whereby Charlotte, North Carolina, located at latitude 35.2271° N is actually colder than Juneau, Alaska, located at latitude 58.3019° N. That’s a full 23.08 degrees of latitude difference – the same latitude difference between New York City and Jamaica.

Charlotte Meteorologist Brad Panovich posted this graphic on his Facebook page yesterday, highlighting the striking anomaly;

If you moved here from Ohio or New York (like myself), you may be rolling your eyes, but if you’re from Florida or California, you might need to make some changes.

To prepare your car, top off all your fluids, especially your oil, power steering fluid, and antifreeze. You’ll also want to check your tires and make sure your air pressure is over 32 PSI.

To prepare your home, make sure to drain all fountains and exterior water fixtures. Always let at least one of your faucets drip to avoid freezing pipes. Consider buying a humidifier if you’re sensitive to dry air. If you have an older home with older windows, investing in some shrink film insulation will save you a ton on your heating bill.

To prepare yourself, buy some thermal gloves, a warm hat, and a winter jacket. If you’re going to spend any length of time outside, you may even want to consider buying an electric heating jacket.

If you have a pet – make sure to read our article about how to keep your furry friend warm!

Please share this article with anyone who just moved here from the South West, California, or Florida!

What an incredible year it’s been for our city and our state (both good and bad).

We’ve seen almost every natural disaster, including flooding, tornadoes, and hurricanes, and witnessed some truly unbelievable events, a shoot-out in Uptown Charlotte, UFO sightings, and even a naked man walking down 485.

Since January 1st, 2017, CharlotteStories.com has published over 1,000 articles that have been viewed over 9,517,051 times.

These are the top 10 most-viewed Charlotte Stories for 2017:

#10 Top 10 Best Neighborhoods of Charlotte

Published September 26, 2017 – 58,465 total views

Charlotte is now one of the largest cities in America in terms of physical geography (due to its history of annexing so much of the land around it). It’s now an extremely diverse city in terms of areas and neighborhoods – it even has a few smaller cities within it, such as Ballantyne and South Park.

We have streetcar-era communities where buildings range from vintage factories to grand Southern estates…READ MORE

#9 Check Out This NASCAR Driver’s New 30,000 Sq Ft Futuristic Castle on Lake Norman

Published August 30, 2017 – 62,320 total views

The winner of 30 NASCAR Cup Series races, including the 2016 Daytona 500, has opened up his new 30,000 square-foot Lake Norman castle for a private tour.

Denny Hamlin’s Cornelius home sits on a private Lake Norman peninsula. He started construction in late 2016 and just put the finishing touches on the state-of-the-art complex…READ MORE

#8 5 Massive Homes On Lake Norman You Can Rent For Under $30 Per Night

Published September 18, 2017 – 74,282 total views

Now that Fall is here, it’s the perfect time to get on the lake and do some swimming, fishing, laying in the sun, or doing some insane tricks on those new water trampolines.

We recently discovered some incredible deals for huge homes for rent on a daily/weekly basis, and if you break them down on per-person basis, they are incredibly affordable…READ MORE

#7 North Carolina’s Fall Colors Are Expected To Be The Brightest in Decades

Published August 29, 2017 – 102,102 total views

North Carolina’s 2017 fall colors are expected to be the brightest and most beautiful in decades. According to NOAA Climate Scientist Jake Crouch, the North Carolina mountains have experienced its second warmest year on record. The average high temperature this year is 58.8 degrees – 3.5 degrees above normal. The summer has also been fairly dry this year. “Drier soils typically mean brighter fall color in the mountains,” commented Crouch…READ MORE

#6 Girl Makes Viral Dance Video With Late-Night Charlotte Douglas Workers After Missing Flight

Published September 28, 2017 – 108,579 total views

Have you ever missed your connecting flight and became instantly miserable at the thought of spending another 6 hours in the airport?

That happened to Mahshid Mazooji this past weekend at the Charlotte Douglas airport, but instead of letting it get her down, she decided to through a spontaneous dance party with…READ MORE

#5 People Have No Idea That These Towns Under Lake Norman Exist

Published March 23, 2017 – 132,082 total views

Beneath the waters of Lake Norman lies huge sections of some of North Carolina’s most unique towns from the past. Although over half a century has passed, many roads, facilities, and even homes still sit eerily undisturbed beneath the water.

The East Monbo and Long Island cotton mills, were originally shut down in the 50s, to make way for Lake Norman – the largest man-made lake in…READ MORE

#4 Over 58,000 People Joined Together To Re-Direct Hurricane Irma Using Fans

Published September 7, 2017 – 209,264 total views

This past Summer, Category 5 Hurricane Irma made its way across a string of Caribbean islands toward the US mainland. There was a chance it would the US mainland altogether and travel North-East back out to sea.

Several people decided to start an online campaign to help encourage the storm to take that more easterly path using a rather ridiculous method – electric fans…a lot of them…READ MORE

#3 If You See Purple Fence Posts In North Carolina Get Away

Published July 7, 2017 – 312,620 total views

If you like to hike or explore around North Carolina woods, authorities are warning people to be on the lookout for purple fence posts – especially if you have a pet.

North Carolina law now allows landowners to protect their land by marking the outskirts of their territory with…READ MORE

#2 NC House Passed HB 330 – Allowing Drivers To Drive Through Protesters

Published May 4th, 2017 – 332,767 total views 

A new bill has passed the NC House that would allow North Carolina drivers to drive through protesters who are blocking the road without being sued, as long as they “exercise due care.”

The North Carolina House passed HB 330 with a 67-48 vote…READ MORE

#1 Charlotte Church Released A Christmas Video That’s Going Viral 

Published December 26, 2016 – 1,675,548 views in 2017 (1,911,786 total views)

Forest Hill’s creative team produced a video released on Facebook at the end of last year to introduce the new message series and it immediately blew up on the internet. Recently, the article we wrote last year also began to go viral, receiving over 1.5 million views in the past month alone.

The video itself has now been shared over 80,000 times and viewed over 4.6 million times…WATCH VIDEO

What’s your favorite Charlotte Stories News article from 2017? 

If you have any news tips or interesting story ideas, please Email us at Press@cltstories.com