Teens Build Igloo to Unite Neighborhood After Ice Storm

When ice storms blanketed the mid-Atlantic and millions stayed indoors, two teenagers decided to build something that would bring their whole neighborhood back outside.

Adeline Sutich and Maeve Ritchotte spent hours carving ice bricks with a flat shovel in their Silver Spring, Maryland neighborhood. They hauled each brick by sled to a meaningful spot: the empty lot where a neighbor's home had burned down just months earlier.

"We built an igloo to create unity in the community and bring people together," Adeline explained. "It brought joy to all the neighbors when the snow was frustrating and very difficult to cope with."

The girls carved dozens of ice bricks and stacked them into a cozy snow cave big enough to sit inside. As the sun set Thursday evening, Adeline's whole family joined in to help finish the roof, with her dad providing headlamps so they could work in the dark.

Inside, they built ice chairs and a table where neighbors could actually hang out together. They even created a guest book for visitors to sign.

The messages poured in immediately. "I did this as a kid, too," wrote one neighbor named Melinda. Another visitor named Jen brought her three kids, who loved exploring the frosty creation.

The Ripple Effect

The igloo did exactly what Adeline hoped it would. Neighbors who'd been isolated during the storm ventured outside to see the structure and chat with the girls who built it.

One neighbor watched the construction from her window for hours before finally coming outside Friday to leave her own message. "It brought back so many childhood memories," she wrote in the guest book.

For Adeline, the project meant something deeper than just a fun winter activity. "I feel like this igloo is a good representation of hope and how things can be rebuilt," she said, standing at the site where her neighbor's home once stood.

The snow cave became more than just ice and determination. It became proof that even after difficult storms, literal or otherwise, communities can build something beautiful together.