For Dion Jones it was an amazing 30th birthday present from his wife.
Ffion Haf Williams had booked a holiday in New York for the newly engaged couple - and booked in visits to some iconic sights as an extra treat.
But they landed in the Big Apple an hour before all flights into the city's JFK airport were suspended and New York was plunged into the third worst snowstorm in its history.
Twenty-five inches of snow fell in Central Park on Saturday alone and the city's mayor declared a winter weather emergency.
A travel ban was enforced and public services closed down as the authorities tried to limit casualties.
Remnants of Storm Jonas are now forecast to arrive in Wales on Tuesday, with the Met Office warning of torrential rain.
Dion, a content editor with the Daily Post, joked he’d seen worse back home as he described how efficiently New York’s emergency and city services dealt with the incredible storm.
He told the Daily Post: “It’s nothing compared to the winters in Rhosgadfan.
“There was a warning from the Mayor that all vehicles had to be off the road.
“We put on the TV and they were telling people not to go outside or travel unnecessarily.
Watch Dion's video from New York
“I think they were just trying to keep people off the streets.
“They were so well prepared for it here compared to the UK - there were snow ploughs and snow machines all over the place.
“It was really bad - 25 inches fell in Central Park yesterday.
“One good thing is we can walk through the streets and take pictures.”
Banks of snow three to four feet high were piled up on the side of the road as municipal workers desperately shovelled it away.
Ffion said the conditions were like nothing she had ever seen before but they were making the best of it.
She said: “The snow was that bad yesterday, we were under the Empire State building and we couldn’t see the top of it.
“It is romantic and people don’t appreciate seeing New York like this when there is no traffic.
“It did feel quite special and romantic with all the snow.”
The couple are due back in Britain in the small hours of Wednesday morning, weather permitting.
Another fellow Caernarfon resident, Chris Pritchard who runs Pritchard’s Martial Arts Academy in the town, was also caught up in the whiteout.
He was visiting New Jersey.
Chris said: “I’ve never seen snow like it before. People have actually been arrested for walking on the streets yesterday.”
He said he was hoping his return flight to the UK would be fine.
Opera star Bryn Terfel was also caught up in the New York snow. He was pictured outside the Metropolitan Opera house on his Twitter feed.
“Met opera covered in snow and NY streets closed. Still snowing hard,” said the bass baritone.
