This may shock you – but in the wintertime, New England used to get snow.

Yes, we’ve gotten some flurries this winter. But they stayed on the ground about as long as Mac Jones will wind up staying in Foxboro.

Back in the old days, when winter was winter, New Englanders would partake in this activity known as “building snowmen” – or, snowwomen! It all depends on your placement of the carrot.

In fact, there was once so much snow, Mainers were able to build some really, really tall snowpeople – so large, they wound up in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Built in Bethel in 1999, Maine's Angus, King of the Mountain measured 113 feet, seven inches – or 10 stories – or, almost as tall as Maine Red Claws legend Tacko Fall. The Snowman was comprised of 8 million pounds of snow.

Named for Maine’s then-Governor, Angus King (he's a person, not a burger at McDonald’s), Angus the Snowman lived on until he melted away that June.

But as is the case with a certain New England-shot movie franchise that Stephen Spielberg now apparently regrets…you never stop at one when you can go for a sequel.

In 2008, Bethel introduced the world to Olympia SnowWoman…

Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce via Facebook.
Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce via Facebook.
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Height really does increase with every generation, as Olympia stood 122 feet, one inch (or, 11 stories). That’s 13 million pounds of snow (but nothing some Spanx can’t take care of). And, a new Guinness World Record.

Named after then-Maine Senator Olympia Snowe (because you kind of have to), Olympia SnowWoman lasted until July 30, 2008. Happy Frost of July!

But like snowmen, records don’t stand forever. In 2020, Austria earned that distinction when it unleashed Riesi (which translates to “giant” in English), reaching just under 125 feet. (But if what they say about Arnold Schwarzenegger wearing lifts is true, you have a right to be skeptical about the height of a guy from Austria.)

It could be difficult to build such a large snowman or snowwoman or snowperson, as the region could be on the verge of making history with its mild 2022-23 winter.

But, as veteran meteorologist Mark Rosenthal cautions, that could just mean Mother Nature gets even with us in the spring. Could we see a back-to-school snowman??

And what if it came to life? Sounds like a great idea for Maine's most reclusive novelist, the mysterious Richard Bachmann.

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