Frosty's got nothing on Jeffrey the snowman

Each winter, Milltown, Wisconsin adds one more resident. His name is Jeffery, he lives by Highway 8 and he never stops smiling. 

Because of that, he gets a lot of visitors.

"You never know if it's going to be a little kid or an old man. You never know who is going to come," said Craig Carlson.

The first Jeffery that Craig Carlson and his crew built was 19 feet tall in 2019. They brought him to life as part of a holiday decorating contest, which they won.

Each year he grows a little more. From 19 feet, to 32 feet — to 58 feet. And this year, Jeffery downright sprouted, reaching 67 feet. Or, "6-7," as the kids like to say.

"Every time we got snow, we were hauling snow," said Craig Carlson. "We ended up having a crane to come and help set it."

Plywood and cables also help hold Jeffery together. But this year, Craig Carlson and his family encountered a new problem. Because this version was so tall, Jeffery started to go sideways. December rain didn't help either.

It all led to a meltdown, and it could've ended there. But the community missed Jeffery so much they pushed for a January rebuild, even donating money to make it happen. So, the Carlsons went back to work.

"The snowmen that are in the front yard, you just roll a ball and stack them on top with your own hands," said Hunter Carlson, Craig's son. "We have to use heavy equipment with skid steers, tall handlers."

It took three weeks to build the 6-7 Jeffery. This one only took three days and it's just under 40 feet, but it's as strong as a linebacker.

The head of the first snowman weighed about 25,000 pounds. This one actually weighs even more — about 30,000 pounds.

"We've got about a thousand gallons of water stuck in the one behind us," said Craig Carlson.

The hat is made out of cattle panels and tarps. The nose is 10 feet long and made out of steel.

"The pipe is a 4-inch pipe with a 55-gallon barrel drum at the end of it," said Craig Carlson.

Jeffery's arms are full-grown trees, and his tie is courtesy of an old fire hose.

They put thought into every detail, including the snowman's name. Jeffery was the name of Craig Carlson's older brother.

"He passed away in 2016 and it's in memory of him," said Craig Carlson. "I think he'd like him, I think he would."

Craig Carlson's construction company even started the Jeffery the Snowman Foundation which gives scholarships to local kids. Those aren't going away, even if Jeffery does. Although, one year a little piece of him stuck around until May.

"The sun starts to wreak havoc once you get to the middle of February," Craig Carlson said.

But even when Jeffery leaves, rest assured, he'll be back again someday.

"I always enjoy seeing the final product and knowing that we built it all and it's 100% snow," said Hunter Carlson.

If you would like to learn more about the history and location of Jeffery, and the scholarship foundation, there is a Jeffery the Snowman Facebook page.