From the USA TODAY travel book, BusCapade
   

Ronnie Sciortino, 34 Businessman/snowball shop owner New Orleans.

"The extreme heat and humidity make snowballs very popular in New Orleans. The snowball season starts just after Mardi Gras and runs through the hurricane season. When things get tough economically, many people set up a snowball business because it requires very little capital. This area has about 500 stands, which keeps the block ice business profitable."

   
Allen H. Neuharth. BusCapade: Plain Talk Across the USA. Washington, DC: USA Today Books, 1987. p. 107.