Many sculptors work with clay. Others construct their masterpieces out of twisted pieces of metal orhot-pink PVC. Someblow glass into colorful shapes, while others carve pieces of wood into intricate designs.However, for some artists, their material of choice is snow.Each winter, the fluffy white stuff takes center stage at snow sculpting festivals and competitions across the country, from the chilly peaks of the Rocky Mountains to the frigid plains of the Midwest and beyond. A sculptor hard at work at the International Snow Sculpture Championships in Breckenridge, Colorado Aaron Dodds / Breckenridge Tourism OfficeLast weekend, for example, a team from Mongolia took first place at the2025 World Snow Sculpting Championship in Minnesota. The group, called Team Falcon, crafted a piece called Voice to win the annual contest in Stillwater, a suburb of Minneapolis.A dozen teams from 12 countries traveled to Minnesota to compete in the event, which is now in its fourth year. Some even hailed from warm places like Peru, where they practiced for the competition with sand.In Lima, we dont have snow, says Sebastian Emmanuel Isrrael Pea Perez, a member of Team Kawsay Arte Peru, toKAREs Ian Russell. The winner of the Minnesota contest is Voice, a piece created by Team Falcon from Mongolia. Ron Woods PhotographyThe competition may be fierce, but some rival artists manage to strike up friendshipsand even kindle romancesamid all the snow.Team Canadas Joelle Gagnon and Team Finlands Arto Manninen met at last years contest and became fast friends. Then, their friendship turned into something more. Now, theyre engaged to be married, but theyre still competing against each other on different teams.Totally didnt see that coming when I came here last year, Gagnon tells CBS Minnesotas Susan-Elizabeth Littlefield. A sculpted dragon head on display in Colorado Aaron Dodds / Breckenridge Tourism OfficeMeanwhile, theInternational Snow Sculpture Championships in Breckenridge, Colorado, are also underway this week, with 12 teams from across the globe creating massive, fleeting works of art in the citys historic downtown. The frosty event has become a beloved winter tradition in Breckenridge, which has been hosting the competition for decades.Each team starts with a 25-ton cube of man-made snow that stands roughly 12 feet tall. The snow is packed into block-shaped molds by a team of volunteer snow stompers. A snow sculptor creating a chilly masterpiece in Colorado Aaron Dodds / Breckenridge Tourism OfficeTo create their chilly masterpieces, artists can use only hand toolsno power tools allowedand they have just 94 hours to bring their intricate visions to life. That often means working late into the night.Teams must finish their creations by January 24, which marks the start of viewing week, when visitors can meander through the mountain towns larger-than-life outdoor gallery. At night, the sculptures are illuminated with colorful lights. Mexico'sTeam JetSet won second place in the Minnesota competition with a sculpture titledTrapped. Ron Woods PhotographyThese are the kind of pieces of art that are just mind-blowing and jaw-dropping and awe-inspiring, asKeith Martin, a professional snow and ice sculptor and longtime member of Team Breckenridge, told theSummit Dailys Lindsey Toomer in 2022. They touch on that emotional chord, and Ive watched people walk up and just start in tears because they hit them in such a way. I feel like theres just something cool about being able to do temporary art so large that affects people in such a great way.Similar competitions are also being held this winter inWisconsin,Illinois,New York,Connecticut and beyond.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Art, Artists, Sculpture, Snow, Water, Weather, Winter Sports