Fort Mill family makes its own winter wonderland

During the last week of 2017 and the first week of the new year, winter hit this area with a vengeance. Waking up to below single-digit temperatures, consecutive days below freezing and bouts of howling winds made the Piedmont region feel more like the Northeast. Except for the lack of snow.

That’s where the Yancey family of Ardrey Acres comes in. Dennis Yancey is a mechanical engineer and self-described “tinkerer” who makes his own snow using the same technology ski resorts use to make their snow, only on a smaller scale. Water from the Yanceys’ swimming pool atomizes with air through his snowmaking device.

The conditions have to be just right though so he monitors hour by hour forecasts to determine what time will be the best for snow-making. Last week he hit the jackpot and once again the family and their neighbors enjoyed a winter wonderland. Until more normal temperatures arrived. The thermometer reached past 60 degrees last Wednesday.

With the mercury bound to plunge again sometime this winter, don’t be surprised to see it snow on the Yancey home – even if it’s not falling anywhere else in town.

This story was originally published January 10, 2018 at 5:57 PM with the headline "Fort Mill family makes its own winter wonderland."