It's been a mild winter, and, so far, a big disappointment for people who enjoy playing in the snow.
Some people are getting desperate.
Amy Biolchini reports for the Port Huron Times Herald that people in the small city of St. Clair held an informal dance ritual last night commanding "the power of the Finnish God of Snow" to bring down the white stuff.
The town needs snow for its annual "Winter White Out" festival which includes a snowman building contest, a snowball toss, and frozen chicken bowling.
The impromptu dancing seemed to pay off. From the Port Huron Times Herald:
Shimmying and shaking, hooting and hollering, the group of enthusiastic dancers called for "Snow! Snow! Snow!" As they danced, the flakes actually did appear to increase in intensity -- coating the area in a glittering blanket. "I can't believe it worked!" Skonieczny said, citing the 0% chance of precipitation in the forecast for the city.
As Biolchini reports, there are no official moves to the snow dance, so the ubiquitous "jazz hands" were employed.
The lack of snow has led to a tough winter season for some businesses in Michigan. Interlochen Public Radio's Peter Payette recently reported for the Environment Report that most ski resorts up north are doing o.k. because they've been able to make snow:
But for businesses that depend on snowmobile traffic this time of year, things couldn’t be much worse. They’ve had just one weekend of business all winter.
If there isn't enough snow for the Winter White Out festival, it sounds like they'll still have fun. There are less snow-dependant events like poetry contests, a "dunk tank," and a McDonald's "bun toss."
