Lack of snow mixed bag for businesses

Winter arrived as it always does at the solstice in December. The signs of winter were everywhere: Short days, long nights and the feeling of Christmas in the air. But something was missing: snow. And for many businesses in the Sisters area, the impact has been significant.

"Last year our equipment rental department did a record-breaking number for Nordic ski and snowshoe rentals," commented Jacquie Zanck, Director of Spa and Retail at Black Butte Ranch. "Last year, we rented approximately 175 skis and almost 100 snowshoes. This year leading up to Christmas, we rented 10 skis and 15 snowshoes."

Despite the lack of snow, and down equipment rentals at the Ranch, President and CEO Scott Huntsman said, "Black Butte Ranch had a very strong December. Business in our restaurant, spa, and retail outlets were all up nicely over last year. Where we noticed an impact was in a modest drop in overnight guests and with our Christmas activities such as our carriage rides. However, we had a threefold increase in owner visits over last year and that more than made up for any weather-related decreases."

While many days this winter have been better suited for bike riding and hiking, people seem to want their winter weather and the activities that go along with that. While Black Butte has seen a slight increase in bike rentals, that hasn't been the case at long-time Sisters business Eurosports.

"Not appreciably" was the response from owner Brad Boyd when asked about an increase in bike rentals at his shop. "We sold the same number of bikes for Christmas as we sold last year, but it doesn't make up for the lack of snow. We were ahead of last year through the 15th of December. Last year at this time we had a lot of snow, so day after day we had every ski and snowboard out. We've never had everything out this year as there's no snow."

Hoodoo Ski Resort, just 22 miles west of Sisters, has had a very rough season compared to last season and it's near-record snowfall. Hoodoo didn't have enough snow to open with limited runs until the day after Christmas. Long a destination for Central Oregonians and those living in the southern Willamette Valley, Hoodoo for much of the season has had nearly 150 people unemployed, waiting for it to snow.

Although the economic impact on businesses that seem to rely on snowfall during the winter months has been mixed, other businesses in the area are doing well. The lack of snow on Santiam Pass has made travel to Sisters much easier than it is in heavy snow years. Also, the local economy may finally be slowly lurching forward out of the worst recession since the Great Depression in the early 1930s.

Javier Luna, owner of Ranch Viejo Mexican Restaurant, remarked, "The weather doesn't impact us much unless it's really cold and people don't go out. We're actually doing better than last year when there was a lot more snow."

Long-range models are forecasting much of the same type of weather Central Oregon has experienced so far this winter. Ben Burkel, meteorologist for KTVZ in Bend commented, "This year we are in a La Niña type of event similar to last year, but what is different is that we are in a positive arctic oscillation which is just the opposite of what we experienced last year when we had negative values. The AO, as it's called, can change from week to week within a La Niña event, but we haven't seen any change in weeks, and don't see any evidence of it changing soon."

That being said, there was an extended dry spell last winter when most of January and early February were dry and mild, only to have the weather pattern change significantly, and it snowed in the area until May. Winter recreation enthusiasts, and local businesses that rely on them, can only hope that it happens again.