LSSU Snowman Burning to Celebrate Spring’s Arrival

Parts of the western Upper Peninsula received up to 18 inches of snow Thursday and Friday, and M-28 was closed between Marquette and Munising for nine hours because of severe drifting.

But, spring arrives at 5:24 this afternoon, carrying hope that we’ll see better weather soon.

Lake Superior State University will mark the end of a long winter with its annual Snowman Burning celebration this afternoon.

Obviously, they don’t burn a real snowman. Instead, students and staff will set fire to a skeleton made of wood, covered in straw, wire, paint and – the outermost layer – white paper.

The tradition began in 1971, inspired by the creative Bill Rabe, who was LSSU’s director of public relations for many years.

Rabe also helped found the university’s Unicorn Hunters organization, and create the notorious annual Banished Words List, along with the perennial stone-skipping contest and World Sauntering Day, which are held at Mackinac Island.