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For many, the lack of snow this winter is a good thing.
It's made travel easier. It's lessened the juggling of parents' schedules because there haven't been weather-related school closures. It will be hard to find anyone who is unhappy they haven't had to shovel snow from their driveway or sidewalk every few days or, in some winters, multiple times a day.
But as the Cockaigne Ski Resort's early closure last week shows, the virtually snowless winter isn't good for everyone. Ski resorts that can't make their own snow have struggled this year. Businesses reliant on snowmobilers are struggling even more. Trails haven't had enough snow to be groomed and then opened, meaning a winter industry that creates more than $850 million a year in economic impact has been largely sidelined this winter. That's a big hit to gas stations, restaurants located in many small towns and villages throughout the county and hotels where snowmobilers from out of town stay when they're not out on the trails.
What's happened this winter could also have repercussions for next winter. Volunteer snowmobile associations receive a share of snowmobile registrations paid to the state to continue their trail grooming work. A decrease in snowmobile registrations means a decrease in money to the associations, which means they won't be able to do as much work next year.
While this winter has been good for some, it certainly has not been good for all.