ST. LOUIS – Dave’s Diner in Arnold is normally packed around dinner time.

“Fried chicken is our best seller,” diner employee Melanie Velasco said. “It is so good.”  

On Friday, tables were empty because of a quick-hitting storm that dumped several inches of snow in the area.

“There was a lot of lightning and there was thunder,” Velasco said.

The weather phenomenon is known as “thundersnow.” 

The snow piled up quickly enough for Arnold resident Len Wichmer to go sledding. He attached skis to the bottom of a sled to create what he called a “sportscar sled.”

“Nothing’s beat it yet,” Wichmer said. “So, it’s pretty fast.”

Area residents also reported multiple cars slipping, sliding and getting stuck Friday afternoon.

“One of the girls that works here, it took her three hours to get home,” Chris Bowling, diner manager, said.

By nightfall, surfaces that had been plowed and treated with ice melting material appeared to be in much better shape.