Bitter cold a showcase for Garner ice sculpture

Todd Dawson was fueled by hot chocolate and biscuits to carve 9 blocks of ice into a snow leopard on Saturday.
Posted 1/31/2026, 4:22:03 PM Updated 1/31/2026, 5:00:06 PM

YOU CAN SEE THE SNOW FLURRIES

HERE COMING DOWN IN THIS AREA.

WE DO HAVE THE WRAL STORM

TRACKER OUT ON THE ROADS THIS

MORNING. WRAL'S DESTINY.

PATTERSON IS INSIDE THE STORM

TRACKER WITH OUR PHOTOGRAPHER

ED WILSON. IT LOOKS LIKE SHE

JUST STEPPED OUT OF THE STORM

TRACKER DESTINY. TELL US WHAT

YOU'RE SEEING OUT THERE.

>> WELL, WE HAD NO CHOICE TO

STOP BECAUSE WE SAW THIS

BEAUTIFUL SCULPTURE. HERE WE

ARE IN GARNER IS CALLED THE

SNOW LEOPARD AND I'M STANDING

WITH THE ARTIST HIMSELF.

THIS IS A TODD DAWSON. TODD,

TELL US ABOUT THE U.S..

>> WHEN YOU GOT GOING ON, HE

WROTE ME AND MY WIFE ARE

SUPPOSED TO TRAVEL TO MAGGIE

VALLEY THIS WEEK DUE TO HAVE A

VERY GOOD FRIEND OF MINE TO

SMITH.

PLANS GOT POSTPONED. SO ALREADY

HAD THIS DESIGN DRAWN A CROWD

LIKE THIS AND JUST BE THE

PERFECT DAY JUST TO DO IN YOUR

HOUSE FOR A WALK INSIDE YOUR

HOT CHOCOLATE MOUSSE OFFICE

BISCUIT.

>> AND KIND OF ENJOYING LIFE TO

DO SO. YOU SAID THAT YOU

STARTED ON THIS LAST NIGHT.

TALK US. TALK US THROUGH THE

PROCESS FOR THIS. SO THIS IS

LIKE 9 BLOCKS OF ICE. SO LAST

NIGHT I CAME HOME FROM WORK AND

I JUST STACKED ALL THE BLOGS

FROZEN TOGETHER.

>> AND JUST LET THEM SEE YOU

AND ME. AND THIS MORNING

>> SO FROM HERE, HOW MUCH MORE

WORK TO WE HAVE TO DO? I'VE GOT

TO GET EVERYTHING THE TO I'VE

GOT TO GET ALL THE SPOTS FROZEN

ME AND THE DETAIL WITH PHASE

>> ENTAILED. WHICH IS GOING TO

BE PROBABLY THE LAST THING I

DO JUST BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO

REACH AROUND SO FAR. I DON'T

WANT TO RUN INTO IT OR NOT AT

ALL. AND THAT I HAVE A BOBCAT

AND A LEOPARD.

>> SO MAYBE THE LAST THING.

I MEAN, I WOULD HIT WITH A BIG

PROPANE TORCH THAT WILL

PERFECTLY CLEAR IT UP AND MAKE

IT CLEAR VOICE. SO FROM START

TO FINISH, HOW MUCH TIME WE

TALK IN?

>> BECAUSE I'M SASHA BISCUITS.

I HEAR OR SHOULD BE PROBABLY 3

OR 4 MORE HOURS. OKAY. SO I'M

KIND OF READY TO GET IN AND

GET IT OR STOP. SO IT LOOKS

REALLY NICE. YEAH. WELL, IT

LOOKS BEAUTIFUL ALREADY.

WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO SEE

THE FINISHED PRODUCTS. OF

COURSE, WE WILL ALSO SHARE WITH

YOU GUYS WHEN IT'S ALL SAID

AND DONE.

>> AND, YOU KNOW, YOU SAID THAT

ONCE THE SNOW REALLY CALMS AND

IT'S REALLY BE A REALLY NICE

BACKDROP AND EVERYTHING.