By Max Fontaine | Beacon eruptions reporter

While the sudden appearance of wintry weather has some Bass Lake residents standing quickly for joy, others are reacting with stubbornness.

Despite the meager snowfall, a dispute erupted early Tuesday between the town’s two residential snow removal companies.

Ned Levelcut, of Ned Levelcut Lawn Mower and String Trimmer Repair and Tax Return Preparation and Dock Installation and Removal and Residential Snow Removal Services, LLC.,  and Let’s Get Plowed owner Enrique Bitburger came to blows near the entrance of West Bass Lake Estates at dawn Tuesday.

The dispute arose over who had secured the plowing contract for the luxury trailer park.

The snow was still falling when both men arrived at the gated community, plows poised to scrape the dusting from the pavement.

Witnesses reported seeing the pair acting as though each was going to ram the other in a sort of four-wheel-drive joust. Instead, they got out of their respective trucks and began hurling obsenities, then snowballs and finally fists at each other.

“Ned was yelling something about the ‘right to plow’ contract he said he signed,” said Brittney Cleveland, who was on her way to her shift at Grumpy’s Friendly Diner. “Then Enrique yelled “f*** you, Ned,’ and threw a snowball at him.  Then they sort of hugged each other and fell over.”

By the time the men righted themselves passing cars had reduced the white stuff to hard pack.