Shoppers rush home from Goldsmith Co. Jewelers during November admiring their treasures - and praying for snow.
If El Nino smiles upon them, that sparkling tennis bracelet or diamond-studded gold watch won't cost a dime. Goldsmith will give refunds (minus sales tax) for everything purchased from Nov. 1 through Nov. 25, provided at least 2.5 inches of snow falls at the Brigham Young University weather station on Dec. 1 between noon and 6 p.m.The proposition is part of a promotion the University Avenue store has run the past four years.
"Wouldn't it be amazing if we gave away $100,000 worth of jewelry?" says owner Wil Feller.
He's serious. And he's protected.
Goldsmith took about $1,400 out of its advertising budget to buy "hole-in-one" insurance. The policy will cover anything the jewelry store might have to refund as a result of the offer. Feller said there's no gimmick and the store didn't jack up its prices.
This is the first year Goldsmith chose a December day instead of a November day on which to measure snowfall for the promotion, which coincides with the 26-year-old store's annual anniversary sale.
"We really think we're going to do it this year. We paid for the insurance. We want it to snow," Feller said, adding Goldsmith missed by a day the first year.
For those looking ahead, looking back indicates snow isn't likely on Dec. 1. The average snowfall at the BYU weather station on that date is .2 of an inch. There has been no more than a trace the past five years. But this year, there's a wild card: El Nino. Who knows what those unpredictable warm-water currents will bring to North America.
"When you think about it, 2.5 inches is not much," Feller said. "It's a little more than a two-by-four."
The insurance company requires Goldsmith to have a gap between the end of the sale and the day the snow is measured to prevent customers shopping with dollars in one hand and the weather forecast in the other.
And don't count on the National Weather Service for some insider information. A meteorologist there said the service doesn't make predictions that far in advance with any degree of accuracy, especially for such a narrow window on a single day.
That leaves only one thing to do. As skiers say, "Think snow."
And maybe the "ice" will be free.