During a winter storm and lake-effect snow on Wednesday, residents of Paw Paw, Michigan, Janice and Eric Pantelleria, stepped outside to witness an extraordinary sight: their expansive yard was covered with numerous uniquely shaped snow doughnuts, or cylinders.

According to Megan Varcie, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in White Lake, these snow rollers are a rare weather occurrence.

“The heavy, sticky snow from the lake packed together really well, combined with strong winds — with gusts over 40 mph in West Michigan,” she explained. “Such conditions can lead to the formation of these cylindrical snow rolls, particularly in open areas where there are few trees.”

“My husband was outside shoveling the driveway when he first spotted them,” Janice explained. “Initially, he thought the kids had been playing and rolling snowballs in the yard — but then, he realized they were all around our house.”

Pantelleria shared her pictures of the snow formations on Facebook, which quickly gained popularity.

“I’m thrilled to see that many people are enjoying the photos as much as we loved experiencing it in person,” Janice stated.