Although a warm Tucson breeze blew through the trees Saturday afternoon, residents of the Manzanita-Mohave Residence Hall, 1000 N. Park Ave., experienced a tiny winter wonderland in their own front yard for a few hours.
Despite the fact the midday skies were not as sunny as expected, the frost-covered grass in front of the residence hall looked strangely out of place on the cactus-embellished UA campus.
A donation of shaved ice from Polar Ice, 7333 E. Rosewood St., allowed students to make snow angels, toss snowballs and take a glimpse of a lawn coated in white; a rare sight around the UA.
Brittany Barreth, a Polar Ice employee, said the rink usually has snow to spare and they are willing to donate it to anyone who can come and pick it up.
"Anyone who wants to can call. There's no reason for us to be stingy and keep it," Barreth said.
Starbucks and Krispy Kreme also offered donations and discounts on their coffee and donuts. A table full of their products was set up inside the building for residents to enjoy while they warmed up.
Ian Delaney, an acting junior, said he thought with tropical departures and spring break beaches just around the corner, early March was an opportune time of year for the festivity to take place.
"This is a fun hall program we thought would be good before spring break. We thought we'd all have some fun in the snow," Delaney said.
Other students who participated in the frosty event, such as Harry Mossbrook, an architecture freshman, cited nostalgia as the reason for participation in the event.
"I'm from New Jersey, so this is the closest thing to home for me," Mossbrook said.
Emily Ladd, a political science senior and a Manzanita-Mohave resident assistant, estimated approximately 200 pounds of snow were dropped on the front lawn. The snow was infused with a chemical, which prevented it from melting as quickly as it normally would in the far-from-freezing Arizona weather, Ladd said.
Ladd said she thought the snow was a unique way to prompt bonding time and recreation for students.
"You never see snow in Tucson, so it's an interesting way to get your residents outside," Ladd said.