Heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures the last few days has 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 last Friday.

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 pretty 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 midmorning.

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/ on 32nd Avenue Northwest said that seems to be the case as business was about the same as on a normal Friday except that more people were on foot and the doughnut delivery truck couldn't make it up the hill.

"People want to get out," she said. "I think they're getting cabin fever."

Lori Glynn at Camelion Design on Ballard Avenue said business should continue to be steady despite the snow and ice because there is only one more weekend before Christmas and people will find a way to get their shopping done.

Anna Kay, who was braving the ice-covered sidewalks in Ballard to do some shopping, seconded that notion.

"We only have a week left," she said.