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Businesses Across the State Prepping for Snowstorm

At Sabourin Hardware in Fitchburg, you could hear a pin drop.

“This time of year is generally more quiet, so when the snow comes it will perk things up a little bit,” said owner Jack Bernard

Bernard said his shovels and ice melt has piled up since November. When the last snow fell in the fall they sold out of everything, but no one has needed much snow supplies since.

“We do gear up for winter, so we just have a lot of stuff built up in here that is ready to go,” he said.

No real snow since November might be the reason people are dragging their feet to the hardware store.

Just a few towns over in Westminster, Jeff Crowley, the owner of Wachusett Mountain, is patiently awaiting the snow because there’s no business like snow business.

“We just had a meeting today and someone read an email from a customer, they call this 'ribbons of joy' coming down the ski trails here,” Crowley said. “So as you see, there is all the snow. It is really confined to all the ski trails.” 

Off the trails, nothing but dirt right next to the snow-covered trails. Some snow from mother nature doesn't hurt.

“That will take some of the doubters that are sitting on their couch right now waiting to see snow in their backyard so they will all come out after this storm, so it will help business a lot,” said Crowley.

Lift ticket sales are up by 5 percent at Wachusett. They have become masters in man-made powder so people can get their runs in.

Oddly enough, they are more worried people won’t show up on Monday -- not because of the snow, but because of low temperatures. Crowley said there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes choices for the weather.

“That is the inside scoop, there are a lot of people who just ski here on cold days because they know a lot of people have been scared off, so they come out on the cold days because they know everyone is chicken,” said Crowley.

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