While Tuesday’s thaw may have come as welcome news to snow-adverse people living in the county, for members of the parks department it could cause them to push back the start of its annual winter celebration.

Originally set to kick off Saturday, the Cass County Park Department’s Discover Winter Nights at T.K. Lawless Park could be delayed due to a lack of snow coverage on the park grounds, said Director Scott Wyman. With many of the activities lined up for the evening, such as tubing and cross-country skiing, requiring several inches of snow, whether or not the event will take place as scheduled is now entirely at the mercy of mother nature, Wyman said.

“We are hopeful, but we are also realistic,” Wyman said. “If we cannot start this Saturday we will try again next week.”

In spite of the snowfall this weekend impacting other portions of the county, Wyman said Lawless Park, located on Monkey Run Street in Vandalia, had relatively little accumulation. With much of the base built up last month largely gone due to the mild weather experienced around the holidays, the park is now essentially starting from scratch.

In order to build up a good base for the winter activities, organizers are hoping for around 6 inches of accumulation in the coming days, Wyman said.

Taking place from 5 to 9 p.m. over the next five Saturdays through Feb. 11, Discover Winter Nights will offer plenty of winter-themed events for visitors.

New for this year, people will have a chance to take their wheels for a spin on Lawless’ mountain bike trail, located on the south end of the property, which is open for the first time in winter, Wyman said.

“We typically close the trail down Nov. 1, and keep it closed until spring,” he said. “However, with the popularity of fat tire biking and the support we are getting from local biking clubs, we decided to keep it open this year and see where it takes us.”

Tractor-drawn sleigh rides are another addition to the list of activities for this year. For $1, people have the chance to ride the recently restored sleigh around the park’s trails.

Returning events for this year include the bonfire and indoor crafts, Wyman said. Volunteers with the Cass County Friends of the Park will also be on hand, selling refreshments, he said.

Typically drawing between 200 to 400 people, depending on the weather, Discover Winter Nights is intended to draw out people who typically work during regular park hours, Wyman said.

“It gives them a chance to see what the park is like at night, which is cool in its own right,” he said.

Admission into the park during the events cost $2 per person.

The park department will post any cancelation notices on its Facebook page. People can also call the department at 445-4456 for information.