Hope you had a good weekend, and if you’re impacted by the snow, hope you’re safe! — Dan

As I write this, the northeastern United States and eastern Canada are being pummeled by yet another major snowstorm. Municipalities everywhere are advising residents to stay off the roads — not only is it unsafe to drive in such conditions, but cars on the road make it more difficult for cleanup crews to sand and ice the streets and, ultimately, plow the snow. It’s not an unusual problem if you live in the area — at some point, you get used to it and find ways to make it fun.

And in one case, a man earned himself a parking ticket as a result. Kind of.

In January 2018, Montreal was pummeled with seemingly endless snow. Many residents went out and shoveled their walkways, driveways, and sidewalks. But one guy — a 33-year-old named Simon Laprise — spent his time building a snow sculpture. Not a snowman, though. Laprise spent four hours sculpting a full-scale DeLorean, like the one featured in Back to the Future.

As seen above, and as described by UPI, Laprise spared few details. “Laprise sculpted the DeLorean to look like a life-size version of Marty McFly's ride had been parked throughout a snowstorm for days. He even added indentions for the wheels and windows — and then threw a spare windshield wiper he found lying around for a special touch.” From a distance, it looked like a car parked in the middle of the road, buried under the snow. It was good enough to fool someone driving through the neighborhood, which in this case, included the police.

That evening, according to CBS News, police officers rolled up to the fake car, expecting to issue the owner a citation for leaving it in the middle of the road. But when they approached, they saw the truth of the situation — it wasn’t a real car at all. Nevertheless, they wrote Laprise a ticket. It read “You made our night hahahahaha” with a smiley face attached.

Laprise appreciated the note — and the fact that he wouldn’t have to pay a fine. The sculpture didn’t last long, though; the next day, the municipal plow cleared it with the rest of the snow. Even time machines, it turns out, can’t outrun a Montreal winter — or a city plow on its regular route.

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Today’s Bonus fact: Alaska gets a lot of snow, and the government needs to be particularly proactive to ensure roads are drivable. That means plowing when it’s actively snowing — including in low- and zero-visibility conditions. Plowing while you can’t see the road ahead — or anything else outside the vehicle — makes for difficult work. To account for this, some areas of the state provide drivers with “a head-up-display in the equipment that provides a virtual view of the highway,” according to the state Department of Transportation and Public Facilities.

From the Archives: Snow Reason to Think a Crime is Underway: How snow gave away a criminal enterprise.

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And thanks! — Dan