Raleigh residents brave cold temps for Dix Park winter wonderland
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Hundreds of Raleigh residents flocked to Dix Park for sledding and snow play.
- Families, birdwatchers and dog owners used the winter storm to enjoy outdoor recreation.
- Park facilities closed, but visitors still went sledding and photographed trolls.
With powdery snow underfoot and a bright sun overhead, hundreds of Raleigh residents flocked to Dorothea Dix Park on Sunday to enjoy the results of the second winter storm in as many weeks.
At Harvey Hill, parents formed a line at the top of the hill while their bundled children soared repeatedly down to the bottom. Snowballs flew through the air, occasionally hitting their targets. There was plenty of slipping and sliding thanks to the layer of ice under the snow from last week’s storm. Kids couldn’t believe their luck: two weekends of sledding in a row.
Wade Baum and his friends built a snow ramp at the bottom of the hill to catch air.
Though park facilities, including the Gipson Play Plaza, were closed due to the winter weather, nobody seemed to notice.
“We are just so excited to be here,” said Maddy Warren, looking on as her friend Jack Davis sped down an icy hill while standing on a boogie board. “The boogie board is actually much better for going fast on the ice because of the smooth bottom.”
“I can’t believe we got a redemption weekend after last week’s faux-snow,” Warren said.
There were differences of opinion regarding the sledding quality between last weekend and this weekend, with some preferring last week’s icy crust to this week’s fluffy snow.
Scott Mizerak was sledding with his son Waylon, 10, at Dix Park on Sunday morning. They said there was a difference in the sledding from last week’s storm. Last week they had great runs on the streets of their neighborhood of Cardinal Hills. This week they went to Dix because their streets weren’t as sled-worthy. Waylon, who loved the sledding, did notice they weren’t going as fast as last week.
It wasn’t just Raleigh’s youth hitting the slopes.
Snowboarder Jeff West usually travels to Vermont or Western North Carolina to get his fix. But Sunday, he was able to go right down the street to Dix Park. He was expecting more than just 2 inches — at one point the forecast looked more like 10 to 12 — but “as long as it’s enough to get down the hill” its fine by him, he said.
Others opted to spend the snow day at a slower pace.
Down Rocky Branch Greenway, Connor Reeder was watching patiently for the red flash of a cardinal in the white snow. Reeder took up birdwatching recently as an excuse to spend more time in the park, he said. He saw much more avian activity than usual Sunday, maybe due to the snow.
Others walked through the park looking for snow-dusted trolls. The series of five sculptures by Thomas Dambo have been braving the elements since their installation at Dix Park last year.
“I wanted more snow — I was pretty angry we were in the dry slot,” said Keri Dixon, referring to the weather pattern that left Raleigh out of the higher snow accumulation seen across the state.
“But we’re still excited to see the trolls and how they look in the snow,” her husband Makana Doumlao said.
Over at the dog park, pups braved frozen paws to romp in the snow.
Sunday marked Link’s first time at a dog park. He was recently rescued through Saving Grace in Wake Forest by his owner Mai Nguyen.
Whether dog, bird, human or troll, Dix Park was the place to be on Sunday.
Ethan Hyman contributed to this report.
This story was originally published February 1, 2026 at 4:26 PM with the headline "Raleigh residents brave cold temps for Dix Park winter wonderland."
