Because this spring has been a bit wild, weather-wise, locals may not have thought twice about seeing what appeared to be snow on Main Street today.

But closer inspection reveals that, because of planned filming of the Jason Segel/Emily Blunt romantic comedy “Five Year Engagement,” curbsides from Liberty to Washington have been blanketed in stapled-down cotton batting made to look like peaked piles of snow; and at midday, chicken wire surrounded Main Street trees, suggesting that they, too, would soon get the “snow” treatment.

According to Vault of Midnight comic store owner Curtis Sullivan, “Engagement” filming on Main St. isn’t scheduled to get underway “until late tonight — after midnight or something like that. They’re not doing any shooting at all during the day, from what I understand. … They've asked us to leave our lights on tonight, which is cool, because maybe then (the storefront will) be in the movie.”

Across the street at Elmo’s Main Street T-Shirts, meanwhile, a multi-purpose basement performance space, called Elmo’s Hideaway, is being prepared for use as a staging area late tonight. (Staging areas are often where extras, and sometimes the stars, hang out until they’re needed on set, and where food services are often made available.)

How did the film team learn about the space?

“I told them about it,” said owner Elmo Morales. “ … They came by a long time ago to tell us this (filming) would be happening in May, so I gave the advance people a brochure.”

Seventy chairs were being set up, concert-style, in the space at midday, and Morales said the crew had cleaned up “the backyard,” or alley behind the store.

And while this block of Main Street may be closed to car traffic later today — to cover even more of the street with movie “snow” (a process that began last night, according to Sullivan) — businesses will remain open during their normal hours, during which time pedestrians will be unimpeded.

Well before “Engagement” filming was headed downtown, though, Sullivan’s business received multiple visits from those involved with the movie.

“Jason Segel and a bunch of his pals have been in many, many times, buying stuff,” said Sullivan. “ … He bought a blacklight Robocop poster, so he's got good taste. I think it was a gift for a friend. But he’s really nice. He just introduced himself, said, ‘Hi, I’m Jason,’ and I thought that was really cool. He wasn’t trying to name-drop his own name.”

Jenn McKee is the entertainment digital journalist for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at jennmckee@annarbor.com or 734-623-2546, and follow her on Twitter @jennmckee.