How To: Build an igloo in Minnesota

This video tests the idea that an igloo, once left to freeze in the extreme cold, will be strong enough to stand on without collapsing. The experiment takes place in Minnesota where the temperature was fifteen degrees below zero at the start. Begin by shoveling snow into a dome-shaped pile. In the video, the dome is approximately six feet across at the base and three-and-a-half to four feet tall. Let the pile freeze for about two hours. The temperature had warmed up to about eleven degrees below zero when they returned. To hollow out the igloo, dig a small doorway into the side and dig out the snow from the interior. Let the igloo sit again for a couple of hours. Finally, you are ready to stand on top of the igloo. In the video, a grown man successfully climbs on top of the igloo without it collapsing.