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Massachusetts family’s hulking snowman grows to 23-feet tall after weekend blizzard

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Massachusetts family’s hulking snowman grows to 23-feet tall after weekend blizzard


Frosty got a growth spurt!

A Massachusetts family’s second-annual construction of a goliath snowman was packed with a little extra cushion after Winter Storm Hernando tore through the state, boosting it to a whopping 23-feet tall.

Parker the Snowman, initially measuring 20-feet high and 21-feet wide, shot up an extra three feet on top of a four-foot expansion outwards after the weekend blizzard buried the state in snow.

The Aalerud family built a 20-foot snowman that gained an extra three feet of height after Monday’s blizzard. Eric Aalerud

The behemoth’s architect, Eric Aalerud, admitted to WHDH that he “was more sore” while undertaking the annual project “than anything” he’d attempted in the last decade.

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His wife, Katie Aalerud, told CBS News that Eric built their first family snowman in November 2024, just after welcoming their daughter Emerson, while he “was going stir crazy in the house.”

The snowman lights up at night. Eric Aalerud

He constructed the snowman from a massive snow pile that only kept growing over time, until it became its own roadside attraction with light-up features. Katie’s only problem was its “creepy” glowing red eyes, which were swapped out for blue this year.

Katie told NBC10 Boston that her husband used a snowblower, shovel, wood, ladder and “water to freeze everything” to pile up the snowman and keep it together for weeks on end.

The snowman they built last year didn’t melt until the beginning of April. Eric Aalerud

The faux top hat on Parker’s head is made out of “a trash barrel and plywood, spray-painted black,” Katie said. The eyes, buttons, and large tree branch arms are all adorned with bright lights so that passersby can see the frosty fellow as they drive up the hill near their Shirley home.

“Last year it dwindled slowly, and I would say probably at the beginning of April when the last of it finally melted,” Katie told the outlet.

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The Aaleruds plan to build a bigger and better snowman each year for as long as they are able.

During a rare snow day Monday, hundreds of New Yorkers sculpted their own snowmen and other snow structures, including makeshift igloos, throughout the city — but none so big as the Aaleruds’ masterpiece.



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The best Massachusetts high schools for athletes? According to one study, here are top 25

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The best Massachusetts high schools for athletes? According to one study, here are top 25


No other city in the country boasts more championships than Boston, giving Massachusetts a sporting pedigree unlike any other.

What’s unique about many of the state is that several of the stars from those championship-winning teams were Massachusetts natives.

Before they were winning the Stanley Cup, the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, World Series or a gold medal, those athletes were high school standouts.

Which high schools in Massachusetts are considered the best for athletes today? 

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According to a study conducted by Niche, which accounts for survey feedback from students and parents—accounting for “reviews of athletics, number of state championships, student participation in athletics, and the number of sports offered at the school”—and data from the U.S. Department of Education, these are the top 25.

25. Hanover High School

Total number of sports: 29

24. Tewksbury Memorial High School

Total number of sports: 24

23. Medfield Senior High School

Total number of sports: 27

22. North Reading High School

Total number of sports: 26

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21. Cushing Academy (Ashburnham)

Total number of sports: 20

20. Minnechaug Regional High School (Wilbraham)

Total number of sports: 30

19. Franklin High School

Total number of sports: 20

18. Shrewsbury Senior High School

Total number of sports: 34

17. Longmeadow High School

Total number of sports: 28

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16. Bishop Feehan High School (Attleboro)

Total number of sports: 27

15. Wellesley Senior High School

Total number of sports: 36

14. Mansfield High School

Total number of sports: 22

13. Billerica Memorial High School

Total number of sports: 23

12. St. Sebastian’s School (Needham)

Total number of sports: 13

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11. Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School

Total number of sports: 32

10. Deerfield Academy

Total number of sports: 37

9. Nashoba Regional High School (Bolton)

Total number of sports: 30

8. Belmont Hill School

Total number of sports: 16

7. Duxbury High School

Total number of sports: 30

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6. Notre Dame Academy (Hingham)

Total number of sports: 19

5. Central Catholic High School (Lawrence)

Total number of sports: 30

4. Catholic Memorial (West Roxbury)

Total number of sports: 15

3. Xaverian Brothers High School (Westwood)

Total number of sports: 17

2. Boston College High School

Total number of sports: 17

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1. St. John’s Prep (Danvers)

Total number of sports: 22



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Family of fallen Massachusetts State Trooper attends ceremony remembering those killed in the line of duty – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News

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Family of fallen Massachusetts State Trooper attends ceremony remembering those killed in the line of duty – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News


BOSTON (WHDH) – It was a powerful moment on Friday during the annual Law-Enforcement Memorial Ceremony at the State House, as the ceremony remembered those lost in the line of duty, including State Trooper Kevin Trainor.

Trainor was killed in a wrong-way crash this week. Trainor’s family was in attendance.

“We’re here today with the Trainor family as another tragedy and agonizing time in policing has found us,” Larry Calderone, Boston Police Union President, said.

The day brought a moment to pause and remember the 30-year-old who is being hailed a hero after he was struck and killed Wednesday morning on Route 1 in Lynnfield.

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“We’ve lost a brother,” Massachusetts State Police Col. Geoffrey Noble said.

The fallen trooper’s fiancée spoke out for the first time since losing the love of her life. She posted to social media, “I am beyond proud of the amount of love you have been given by those who loved and cared about you shows us who you really were, a friend, a partner, a brother, a son, and a hero. You weren’t just a hero to me but a hero to all.”

(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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Globe Top 20 baseball poll: BC High bounces back amid a flurry of movement – The Boston Globe

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Globe Top 20 baseball poll: BC High bounces back amid a flurry of movement – The Boston Globe


Bishop Feehan moves up to the No. 2 spot — the Shamrocks have won eight straight against in-state competition, and ace Brody Bumila continues to look unbeatable. Natick enters the top five for the first time at No. 4 — the Redhawks are 12-1 with a 9-0 mark in Bay State play.

In the back half, Reading rises to No. 13 after getting some revenge on No. 19 Arlington. Also rising are No. 12 Plymouth North and No. 16 Canton, each up two spots.

New entrants are No. 18 Winchester, which returns to the rankings, and No. 20 Hopkinton, in for the first time this year on the back of four straight wins.

Records based on scores reported to the Globe.

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The Globe’s Top 20 baseball poll

The Globe poll as of May 8, 2026. Teams were selected by the Globe sports staff.


Mike Puzzanghera can be reached at michael.puzzanghera@globe.com. Follow him on X @mpuzzanghera.





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