For most of the country , spring is already in full force . But chilly temperatures in the northeast have kept snow on the ground well into April . One family on New York 's Long Island were even able to keep a snowman alive until this weekend , when their Frosty finally melted in 70-degree temperatures . But before the snowman withered away , he became somewhat of an internet celebrity , with more than 3,000 people liking the page the family dedicated to their carrot-nosed friend on Facebook . Scroll down for video . Until next year ! A family on New York 's Long Island tried to keep this snowman alive for as long as possible , but the Frosty melted this weekend when 70-degree temperatures hit the area . Remnants : The Fregoe family took a small ball of ice from the snowman to store in the freezer until next winter , when he will come to life again . Mike Fregoe of Massapequa Park says he and his family built the snowman in January , when it grew to be more than 9-feet tall . Since then , the snowman 's height has fluctuated as late winter storms have continued to dump snow even into March . He says he has kept the snowman alive with his teen daughter Rebecca . 'It started out as a small project for fun , and it 's morphed into the ongoing snow saga , and it 's a great thing that makes everybody smile and happy , and we 're having fun with it still , ' Mr Fregoe told CBS New York last week . Keeping winter alive : Mike Fregoe went to a local park every day to collect melting snow by the bucket-full to add to his snowman . Last ditch effort : Mr Fregoe pictured adding to the snowman last week , when the weather was so warm he was wearing a tank top . But since the beginning of April , the snowman began shrinking and the family started a Facebook page asking for 'snownations ' to keep their beloved Frosty alive . ' I won ’ t take snow from an ice skating rink or any artificial snow , ' Mr Fregoe said . 'The only way this guy is going to stay alive is with the snow from this winter . ' Mr Fregoe says he 's received snow from people visiting the snowman from as far away as Vermont , as well as closer communities like the Hamptons . The Fregoes also did a lot of the work themselves , taking daily trips to the park to shovel melting snow by the bucket load . Ups and downs : Above , pictures of the Fregoe 's snowman this winter , when he climbed to 9-feet tall after a late January snow storm . In his natural environment : The snowman pictured above on March 20 , in the midst of a spring snowstorm . Getting a tan : Frosty sports a hat for St Patrick 's day on the left , and is shielded from the sun on the right with an umbrella . To protect the snowman from melting faster , they also shaded him with an umbrella and comically added a bottle of suntan lotion to one of his twig arms . Last week , when Mr Fregoe spoke with CBS , temperatures had risen so much that he was shoveling snow in a tank top . The family finally gave up on Frosty on Sunday , after the snowman weathered 70-degree temperatures the day before . The announced the end of the snowman 's relatively long life on Facebook . 'We have so much enjoyed meeting all you wonderful people that stopped by , called , e-mailed or posted on Facebook to us ! We are honored to have become part of your lives , heard your stories ... even invited you into our home . I never could have imagined the Save the Snowman idea becoming all that it has become . It has been one great ride ... thank you all so very much ! ... and do n't be shy ... say hi when u go by , we do n't need a snowman to remind us that a smile and a wave goes a long way ! ' The family is currently storing a small ball of ice in their freezer to start a new snowman next winter .
The foster family of Massapequa Park , New jersey built their own cabin in January . due to late winter storms that stretched into spring , the cabin was able to keep the snowman alive for months . The snowman finally melted this weekend , when temperatures reached a high of 58 on weekdays and 57 on Sunday . Mike Fregoe is keeping a small snowball in the freezer to start a new winter next winter .