Minnesota Judge Orders Snow to Stop, and It Worked

While the order itself may look authentic, one Minnesota state court judge is bound to have news station anchors and weather-reporters chuckling for years to come with his recent Order to Enjoin "Minnesota Meteorologists, Old Man Winter, and Mr. Snow" from dumping anymore snow on the state and county he presides over.

The order itself lays out a rather cute, but cursory, analysis of why an injunction against any more snow is warranted. Curiously, when considering what fictional law firm to credit for the filing of the emergency petition, the judge named Sue, Grabit, and Run. Notably, it looks like there were no snow storms in the days after the order, though there has been a bit of rain, and more rain is expected.

Hilarious Highlights

In addition to the above silliness, Judge Kevin Burke ORDERED that "The defendants are enjoined from permitting any more snowfall this winter in the "Restricted Geographic Regions" of Minnesota; and especially Hennepin County." The judge continues on to explain "This does not prohibit defendants from continuing their exploits in Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota, and North Dakota."

The judge further includes a pretty funny moment of self reflection: "This order tests the limits of judicial authority." And to his credit, this is true on several levels, particularly as he followed it with a pretty telling statement about the order: "But it is not a reflexive or petulant act by a frustrated judge."

Basically, the judge thinks it's wrong for Minnesota to get any more snow this year, and his court order lays out why, using the Dahlberg factors. In short, he explains that enough is enough, this year, that Minnesotans understand there's going to be a winter, but that this year's been a tough one, and maybe it's time to stop.

It concludes by explaining a likely conspiracy between the Minnesota Meteorologists and Old Man Winter and Mr. Snow to "increase television and radio ratings." And, perhaps most stunningly, asks the easily answerable rhetorical question: "Who ... would watch the weather in Hawaii where it is always nice?"

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