Traveling snow sculptor Rex Hanck builds towering Thunder mascot Rumble during Oklahoma City snowstorm

A temporary landmark emerges after rare metro snowfall

A large snow sculpture of Rumble the Bison, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s mascot, drew attention this week after being built along a commercial corridor in north Oklahoma City following a winter storm that left workable snow across parts of the metro.

The piece was created by Rex Hanck, a traveling snow sculptor who has built similar large-scale works in multiple states during significant snow events. In Oklahoma City, the sculpture was installed near Northwest 150th Street, positioned between Western Avenue and Santa Fe Avenue on the property of Odum Chiropractic.

How the sculpture was planned and executed

Hanck said the idea for the subject came from family members, with children in the family typically selecting what the group will build. He described spending about 10 hours preparing stencils before beginning the outdoor work, an approach that helps translate a recognizable character into a large, stable form under time and temperature constraints.

Snow sculptures of this scale are inherently temporary. Their lifespan depends on sun exposure, temperature swings, wind, and additional precipitation. Even when structurally sound at completion, surface details can soften quickly during daytime warming or in overnight refreezing cycles.

Why Rumble, and why now

The choice of Rumble aligns with heightened public visibility for Thunder-themed displays across the Oklahoma City area in recent seasons. The franchise also entered the winter as the reigning NBA champion after winning the 2025 NBA Finals in June, a milestone that intensified local branding and fan-driven tributes throughout the metro.

The snow sculpture adds a short-lived but highly visible form of civic expression, combining the city’s sports identity with an unusual weather window that made large-scale snow carving possible.

A family-led series of character sculptures

Hanck said he began making snow sculptures while raising his children in Seattle, initially creating a George Washington birthday-themed piece. Over roughly the past decade, he and his family team have produced a rotating list of pop-culture characters, including:

• Baby Yoda
• The Mandalorian
• Shrek
• Bluey and Bingo

“Kids usually pick the subject,” Hanck said of the family’s process.

For residents, the Rumble sculpture serves as both a weather-driven spectacle and a public, site-specific installation—one expected to disappear as conditions change, leaving behind photographs and local memory rather than a permanent monument.