As many of us in the northeast scramble because of heavy snow and delayed flights, at least we can rest assured knowing we don’t have it as bad as these people in Brazil. The terrifying video above shows a strange phenomenon: thousands of spiders dangling in the sky. According to Gawker , the footage comes from the southern Brazilian town of Santo Antônio da Platina, and was posted online earlier this week by 20-year-old web designer Erick Reis as he was leaving a friend’s engagement party. A bad omen, perhaps?

Brazilian news outlet G1 spoke with a local biologist who says the spider activity is actually quite normal. He identified the species as Anelosimus eximius, a “social spider” known for its massive colonies that create blankets of webs. The behavior might also seem familiar to people in Chicago, where each year the city experiences an influx of “flying spiders” – so many that earlier this year the Hilton’s Magnificent Miles Suites hotel formally requested guests keep their windows shut to avoid the annual migration. This species, known as Larinioides sclopetarius, spin their silk into balloon-like formations and ride lakefront air currents to crevices in high rises downtown.

Would sky spiders (or spiders that blanket the ground) ruin your vacation, or would you brave the invasion?