CICERO -- Our mild December has meant a slow start for snomobilers.
Normally, local trails would be filled with snowmobiles this month, but snowmobilers like Kelsey Reals say so far this winter there's been nothing to ride on. "It's been really hard going through december with no snow," she says.
The lack of snow has been hard on local businesses that rely on snowmobilers has well. Shawn Patane, owner of Preferred Powersports in Cicero, says sales of snowmobiles and snowmobile equipment is down two thirds this year, compared to last. "December has been really difficult we have had a major drop off. This is the lightest sales we have seen for the month in six years," he says.
Snowmobiling pumps thousands of dollars into the local economy and Patane says when the snow fails to fall it hurts everyone who depends on it for their business. "When you can't get the whole family out to ride it is frustrating and obviously is detrimental to the guys relying on this for income this year," he says.
Snowmobilers are a hardy bunch and Reals says she's not giving up hope. " I hope in the next two days we get seven feet of snow because I really want to go riding," she says.
