Heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures Dec. 18 and 19 made travel hazardous and forced many Ballard residents to stay home from work. But, the snow wasn't bad news for everyone in the neighborhood.

Hattie's Hat on Ballard Avenue was three times busier than normal on Thursday afternoon, said Hattie's bartender Brian Plonsky.

"A snow storm around here makes it busier because people don't want to drive," Plonsky said. "And if people don't go to work, they want to drink."

It wasn't just the bars that were experiencing solid, if not booming, business during the unusually harsh winter weather.

Jill Andersen, owner of Horseshoe on Ballard Avenue, said she had heard mixed reports from other neighborhood businesses, but her boutique was busy despite the snow.

Andersen said the predicted weekend of bad weather shouldn't hurt business in the neighborhood too much.

"There's no doubt that it's going to affect people getting here," she said. "But, we have such a large community that lots of people will walk down."

Kevin Hansen had the day off work because of Friday's icy conditions and used the morning to do some Christmas shopping in Ballard, towing his daughter Dylan and her sled with him.

Hansen said he didn't want to drive so he decided to see what some of the local shops had to offer.

The freezing temperatures on Friday morning made for miserable driving, with some streets remaining solid sheets of ice, said Kyle Long, whose beer delivery duties to Hattie's Hat forced him onto the roads.

Jason Hughes, owner of Sonic Boom Records on Market Street, was the only of three scheduled employees to make it in to work Dec. 19 by mid-morning.

Hughes, who organized this winter's Shop Local/Think Local campaign, said business was busier than he thought it would be during the winter storm and he hopes more people will get out of their homes and walk around the neighborhood.

Julie at Walter's Caf