Amid the talk of balls and brass monkeys the FA Cup presented another night of video assisted farce, this time with the unexpected feature of a 12-minute hat-trick by Fernando Llorente.
Tottenham scored six as they booked a quarter-final with Swansea and they might easily have had more.
There was the goal ruled out by the video assistant referee (VAR) for an innocuous foul and there was the penalty disallowed for an illegal feint by Heung-min Son.
Fernando Llorente scored a hat-trick in the space of 12 second-half minutes to seal Tottenham’s passage to the next round
Llorente celebrates with his Tottenham team-mates as a second-half rout undid the hard work of League One side Rochdale
Llorente celebrates with his Tottenham team-mate Son Heung-min, who also hit the back of the net twice on a snowy night
Stephen Humphrys and his Rochdale team-mates celebrate after he brought Rochdale level at 1-1 in the opening 45 minutes
Referee Paul Tierney was forced to use the Video Assistant Referee technology a number of times during the FA Cup replay
Tottenham came through the match amidst heavy snow in the second half to seal their passage to the FA Cup quarter-finals
MATCH FACTS, PLAYER RATINGS AND MATCH ZONE
TOTTENHAM XI: Vorm, Trippier, Foyth, Dier, Rose, Sissoko, Winks (Dembele 61), Lucas Moura (Walker-Peters 82), Lamela, Son (Alli 68), Llorente.
Subs not used: Sanchez, Kane, Gazzaniga, Eriksen.
Goals: Son 28, 65; Llorente 47, 53, 59; Walker-Peters 90+3.
Bookings: Son, Foyth, Lamela.
Manager: Mauricio Pochettino.
ROCHDALE XI: Lillis, Rafferty, McGahey, McNulty, Delaney, Done, Cannon (Adshead 76), Kitching (Thompson 64), Camps, Humphrys (Davies 58), Henderson.
Subs not used: Ntlhe, Rathbone, Inman, Moore.
Goals: Humphrys 31.
Bookings: None.
Manager: Keith Hill.
Referee: Paul Tierney (Lancashire).
Attendance: 24 627.
Stephen Humphrys brings Rochdale back on level terms. For more from Sportsmail’s Match Zone, click here.
By the end of the night, this decision had cost Son his hat-trick but he settled for two goals and an assist as Spurs finally saw off the spirited challenge of their League One opponents.
Regardless of the result, this was not Rochdale going quietly. They fought back to equalise through Stephen Humphrys as confusion reigned in the first-half and almost took the lead before the interval.
Tottenham proved too strong in the end, Kyle Walker-Peters added a sixth but this has been an enthralling Fifth Round tie and few of the 25,000 who braved the conditions to witness the replay will not forget it.
By the time they have thawed, they will find the debate about the technology trial being rewound and replayed from every conceivable angle.
Feedback from the players should be interesting. None of them seemed to enjoy shivering through the regular first-half stoppages.
And, by the time Llorente scored his second to make it 3-1, Son was ridiculing the system by incorporating the TV mime into his celebrations.
Referee Paul Tierney capped a difficult night by using his white spray on a pitch covered in snow and synchronised snow-shovellers came out to clear the lines during a break in play near the end of the game.
Erik Lamela celebrates with Tottenham team-mate Fernando Llorente after giving Tottenham an early lead at Wembley
But the goal was ruled out after the video assistant referee ruled a Rochdale player had been fouled by Fernando Llorente
Match referee Tierney confirms the goal has been disallowed after consulting with the VAR system for two minutes
Lamela looks confused as he discusses the situation with his Tottenham team-mate Harry Winks as they wait for a final call
Tottenham Hotspur’s South Korean striker Son Heung-Min fires the ball into the net to give them a one-goal lead at Wembley
Son makes the shape of a heart with his hands after giving Tottenham the lead over League One’s bottom side on Wednesday
The signs were there before kick-off when Tierney ordered Wembley’s white lines to be painted blue only to find the blue did not work with the video technology.
They were painted white again and then a paler blue as the officials sought a solution which would make them visible in the event of a snowstorm and still show up on the screens.
If only that had been the end of it. Unfortunately, the VAR system would be back to haunt this replay.
Within the first six minutes, there was an intervention to rule out a goal by Erik Lamela.
Son cut in from the right and forced Josh Lillis to parry a low shot back into the six-yard area.
Fernando Llorente and Harrison McGahey jostled to be first onto the rebound and it spilled to Lamela who rapped the chance home from six yards.
There was no dispute from Rochdale but the referee and his video assistant conferred – as they are obliged to do on all goals – and decided to rule it out for a foul by Llorente.
If there was an offence, it was not obvious. Both players were using their arms in an attempt to keep the other from the ball and this seemed to be a clear case of looking for offences were not there in the first place.
Referee Paul Tierney consults with the VAR before upgrading Tottenham’s free-kick to a penalty kick in the first half
Son converts the penalty and runs off to celebrate thinking he has doubled Tottenham’s lead in the FA Cup fifth round replay
Son looks surprised as the referee overturns the penalty and books Son, who appeared to stall his run when taking the penalty
Son started his run before stalling in an effort to throw the Rochdale goalkeeper off, but that is against the laws of the game
The South Korea international is shown a yellow card by referee Paul Tierney after his penalty infringement in the first half
No-one appreciated the 90-second wait as the snow swirled. It made a cold night colder still but the outcome warmed the hearts of those who had made the journey south.
The tie remained level and the all-important early settler eluded Spurs.
Once the supporters and the managers and their staff in the technical areas had cottoned onto the VAR system there was really no stopping the momentum. They wanted everything referring to Scott in his bunker near Heathrow Airport.
When Lucas Moura tumbled under a challenge by McGahey on his way into the penalty area Pochettino was performing his television mime for the benefit of fourth official Roger East and the crowd were jeering.
Tierney jammed his finger into his ear again. This time there was no penalty and three minutes later there was an actual goal, which was allowed to stand.
It was scored by Son, who collected a pass from Lamela, skipped past two challenges and curled a right-footer beyond Lillis.
Just as order seemed to be restored, there was another VAR intervention and this time a penalty was given to Spurs. Initially, a free-kick was awarded for a foul by Done on Trippier just outside the penalty area.
Stephen Humphrys strikes just two minutes after Son’s penalty gaffe to bring League One side Rochdale back on level terms
Humphrys runs to celebrate with his Rochdale team-mates after scoring a goal as snow falls at Wembley Stadium
Tottenham’s Eric Dier reacts in anger as the Tottenham team concede a goal that draws them level with League One Rochdale
Groundsman at Wembley work hard to clear the pitch of snow during the half-time break as it continues to pour in London
But, on closer examination of the footage, it seemed the contact continued into the box and the decision was amended after another conversation with Scott.
In truth, the foul was debateable. Done had a hand on Trippier’s shoulder but the Spurs full-back summoned the strength to keep running until he was inside the box, whereupon he fell over.
The way the video technology is being interpreted at the moment it is encouraging players to fall down.
Once a foul had been adjudged, however, its location became relevant.
Up stepped Son to score the penalty but this “goal” was to be ruled out for an “illegal feint” as he ran up to address his kick.
A feint in mid-run itself is not illegal but to feint at the end of the run can be construed as unsportsmanlike conduct. Which this was. Son was booked and Rochdale awarded an indirect free-kick.
Pochettino shrugged his arms and Spurs players whispered behind their hands as they spoke to Tierney.
Perhaps they lost their focus because Eric Dier and Juan Foyth were loose at the back when the game restarted and conceded an equaliser.
Humphrys drifted behind Foyth and accepted a pass from Andrew Cannon with an exquisite first touch which took him wide of Vorm and open the angle to score.
Spanish striker Llorente chips the ball over Rochdale goalkeeper Josh Lillis early in the second half to restore the lead
The Tottenham striker soon added his second and his team’s third to give them room to breathe in the FA Cup replay
As the snow continues to fall heavily, Llorente seals his 12-minute hat-trick with a leaping header, also sealing the victory
Llorente runs to celebrate with the goal-maker Son (pictured left) after completing his rapid second-half hat-trick
Son opts for a muted celebration after scoring his second of the game and Tottenham’s fifth to seal an emphatic victory
Rochdale almost went ahead before the interval when Cannon fizzed a sweet strike against the foot of a post.
The outcome may have been different had he found the net but the Spurs were able to refocus at halt-time and quickly took command with two goals in six minutes from Llorente.
Both were served up by Moura, the first a pass threaded through the defence which he clipped over Lillis.
The TV replays showed it was close but not offside and Son cheekily made the square in the air with his fingers.
Llorente stabbed in his second from close range and the second a low cross stabbed over the line from close-range.
His third was created by Son with a dribble and chip onto his head for a simple header.
Lamela made the fifth for Son to tap into an open goal and Walker-Peters scored in stoppage-time.
Kyle Walker-Peters finishes the League One side off with Tottenham’s sixth goal in the final minute of injury time
The Tottenham youngster celebrates his goal as the few remaining supporters inside Wembley rise to applaud their star
The Wembley pitch looks blanketed in a layer of snow as temperatures continue to plunge in north London on Wednesday