A head-and-shoulders illustration of Hala. She has long, sleek dark hair, medium-toned skin, and is smiling. She is wearing a green sweater and a gold necklace with a cedar tree hanging from it.

WE BUILT AN IGLOO! ❄️☃️ by Hala K. '29

a long-lost McCormick Tradition

This past weekend, the US underwent one of the biggest snowstorms of the decade (at least that’s what Yahoo news told me) impacting more than half the country. Most people I knew were anxious about the storm’s effects, leaving faucets dripping to prevent pipe bursts and stocking up on eggs and milk from Trader Joe’s to last them weeks. MIT officially “closed” campus on Sunday and Monday, and Housing and Residential Services shared storm preparation tips and emergency numbers to call if anything went wrong.

However, as a proud Michigander, I dismissed their warnings, convinced that the storm wasn’t that serious (I swear I’m not a climate change denier). I see lots of snow every year and Boston has felt WARM for most of this winter – how bad could it really be?

20 INCHES OF SNOW. THAT IS HOW BAD IT WAS.

I have never – in my entire life – seen 20 inches of snow.

As I watched the snow pile higher and higher, blanketing MIT’s campus, my thoughts drifted to a dinner conversation from months earlier with McCormick’s Head of House about a long-lost dorm-wide tradition: IGLOO MAKING!

For years, it had been impossible to pull off – there simply hadn’t been enough snow.

So, I grabbed my phone, quickly put together an email, and pressed send.

Screenshot of an email draft from Hala Komaiha to Raul Radovitzky and Flavia Cardarelli, dated Sunday, January 25, 2026 at 5:21 PM. In the email, Hala references a past dinner conversation about an igloo maker that requires a lot of snow and suggests that current conditions make it a good time to use it, asking for their expert opinions.
can't blame a girl for trying
20 minutes later ⁠01 read in Spongebob voice
Screenshot of a reply email from Raul Radovitzky to Hala Komaiha and Flavia Cardarelli, dated Sunday, January 25, 2026 at 5:45 PM. Raul confirms that the next day will have ideal snow quantity and quality for igloo building, notes that volunteers will be needed to take shifts over a few hours, and suggests meeting to make a plan.
LET'S GOOOOO

By 10:30 AM the next morning, I found myself standing on the McCormick front lawn with 3 layers of pants and a shovel in hand, surveying the snow-covered plot of land that would become our worksite. McCormick residents rotated in and out throughout the day, bundled in layers, trading shovels and gloves as the structure slowly took shape. By sunset, the igloo stood where there had only been snow that morning.

AND IT WAS SOOO COOL!!!!!

Front view of a large snow igloo on McCormick’s front lawn, showing a smooth rounded dome and a small arched entrance carved into the snow, with trees and campus buildings in the background.
LOOOOK + peep the MCC over door
Side-angle view of the same snow igloo, highlighting the curved dome structure and entrance opening, with surrounding snow, trees, and nearby campus buildings visible.
new angle drop

And if you’re interested in the igloo-making process:

Igloo-building tools laid out on indoor carpeting, including wooden dowels, a shovel, and a yellow igloo mold used for shaping snow blocks.
1) get your materials set up - we used Icebox igloo maker + shovels (not sponsored)
Students standing in deep snow outdoors, marking and clearing a circular outline in the snow to form the base of an igloo.
2) create narrow path to igloo and stick pole deep into ground (this is center of your igloo)
Several students working together to shape a low circular snow wall, using shovels and an igloo mold to pack and level the snow.
3) i unfortunately took a mid picture of this but using that yellow box, pack snow into it and keep going in circle
Instructional diagram showing a circular igloo base with segmented blocks and a person standing beside it for scale.
3 ish) for more context, start with a ramp so you can keep going in a circle until the top!
Close-up view of students using a yellow igloo mold to pack and shape snow blocks on the ground, with gloved hands pressing snow into the mold and snow-covered boots visible nearby.
3 ish again) CLOSE UP! one side of box is open so you fill up the box to the top and then just shift it to the left for the next block in circle. this box is connected to a pole in ground which creates the caving structure (as you get taller, the pole gets closer to the center)
Students building up the igloo walls, stacking and smoothing packed snow into a higher circular structure.
4) KEEP GOING!
A student standing on top of a large mound of packed snow as part of forming the igloo dome.
5) take a much needed sledding break on the snow mounds
Close view of the igloo entrance being carved out, with a student’s gloved hand visible inside the opening.
5) once you're about 3/4 layers high, you can safely carve out the door without the igloo completely breaking
Group of students standing around the nearly completed igloo outdoors, with the arched entrance visible and campus trees and buildings in the background.
5) SO CLOSE TO THE END! lots of visitors will come and watch 😮
Front view of a large snow igloo on McCormick’s front lawn, showing a smooth rounded dome and a small arched entrance carved into the snow, with trees and campus buildings in the background.
6) ALL DONE!! when you get the hole small enough, the last step is literally just catapulting snow on the roof until it closes! (i know this is a picture repeat shh)

And now, if you are wondering what the practical uses are for an igloo in 8 °F weather – the most obvious answer is eating ice cream with friends!!!! 

Group of students gathered together outdoors at night, smiling at the camera while holding cups of ice cream, with snow and winter clothing visible.
WE'RE SO CUTE PLEASE (also note how BIG this igloo is)

OH AND GUESS WHAT! Our igloo was even posted on the official MIT instagram:

Screenshot of an Instagram post from the official MIT account showing a large snow igloo on campus, centered between leafless trees with campus buildings in the background. The post caption reads “Fun with snow on campus!” and credits the photo to Jenny Li Fowler/MIT, with visible likes and engagement icons below.
LOOK- wait what is that... do you see the CRACK on the entrance
okay so big side tangent... i was complaining about someone BREAKING (the small crack on entrance) our igloo to my friend and I saw her face go red and she says "so actually... it was me." it be your OWN PEOPLE.

This was actually a DREAM COME TRUE! Everyone I have ever met has heard about this igloo at this point and been sent at minimum 5 photos of it. I think I may cry the day it melts 😔. Hoping for another storm next year so we can make the 11 FOOT (in diameter) igloo.

  1. read in Spongebob voice⁠ ↑