Levelland kids enjoy rare sled experience at Lobo Lake

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - For dozens of kids in Levelland, one of the most memorable moments of their Christmas break came on the last day. On Monday, several parents took their kids to the hill at Lobo Lake where they could go sledding on manmade snow- courtesy of this weekend’s cold temperatures.

“So today, we have a ‘snow sled hill’. It got cold enough for us to actually make manmade snow, just like the ski areas, " said Dustin Reichelt, who serves as Director of Parks and Cemetery for the City of Levelland.

“This is something that we do every winter. The temperatures do have to cooperate with us though,” he said. “We can’t just do it all the time. It has to be a certain temperature and humidity.”

Most of the snow seen at Lobo Lake was held over from Saturday. City employees tried to add more the next day, but the temperatures did not cooperate.

“It just happened to snow,” Reichelt said. “We don’t typically depend on natural snow. We actually like it when it doesn’t, so it’s one of those things.”

The snow was enough for dozens of kids to have an enjoyable Monday morning. “Hey Granny!” and “Whoa” could be heard from the ones going down the hill. Even as some stated their great level of anticipation, one even told KCBD “I’m excited, but I’m also scared at the same time.” After their turn was complete, some jokingly told their loved ones “I almost flipped there!”

For Reichelt, one cool feature was the fact the parents and kids didn’t have to make a four-hour road trip to do the same thing. They could enjoy the winter adventure in the convenience of their hometown.

“They don’t have to go to Ruidoso. We’re right here in Levelland, and it’s free,” he said. “We have people asking about it year round, especially after last year. They thought it was such a great opportunity for the community.”

Even though some may refer to the substance as “fake snow,” Reichelt said the snow used matched all the scientific criteria from the snow we have covering the South Plains on New Year’s Day.

“So, it’s not fake snow. That’s the first thing, it’s actually real snow,” he said. “It is pressed air, and it’s high-pressure water. If you touch it and feel it, it’s actually real snow.”

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