Late April storms and cold weather are making life challenging for spring industries in Syracuse
Transcript
JACOB MORRIS: Cars move through Skaneateles but the sidewalks are mostly bare. After all, it’s 45 degrees out and a snow storm is expected tonight. But for a town that relies on tourism… Skaneateles Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Hillary Fenner says the cold weather has real consequences.
HILLARY FENNER: When we get a nice day, we really see a huge jump in the number of people downtown, the people shopping so it makes a huge difference. The weather can actually really make it or break it for us in April and May.
MORRIS: According to Fenner, seasonal businesses are hurt the most by storms like tonight. It’s hard to sell summer goods in freezing weather.
FENNER: When you’re an ice cream stand or a mini golf location, it’s hard to open and be able to really open well when there is going to be six to ten inches of snow.
MORRIS: But it’s not just the tourism industry that’s hurt by the weather. 30 minutes away, Tim Sheridan, an assistant golf pro at Drumlins Country Club says the cold temperatures are wreaking havoc on the golf course
TIM SHERIDAN: It’s been tough getting the course up and running fully, like getting carts out and letting people actually even walk on the course somedays just because the snow and the cold can damage the course.
MORRIS: The first tee box at Drumlins West Course right behind me has been empty for almost 30 minutes now. Rough weather in late April will do that to you. Moving forward, Drumlins, as well as other spring industries in the greater Syracuse area… are keeping their fingers crossed for warmer weather. Reporting in Syracuse, I’m Jacob Morris, N-C-C News.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Sporadic weather in the spring is the norm in Syracuse. However, industries that utilize the warmer months for operation are struggling.
Skaneateles is a town that relies heavily on tourism. The low temperatures and late-April storms are causing real consequences in the town.
“When we get a nice day, we really see a huge jump in the number of people downtown, the people shopping so it makes a huge difference,” Hillary Fenner, the executive director of the Skaneateles Chamber of Commerce, said. “The weather can actually really make it or break it for us in April and May.”
Seasonal businesses are hit the hardest by the inclement weather. It’s hard to sell goods based on summer months when the thermometer reads under freezing.
The town sign in the main square of Skaneateles. The town relies heavily on tourism. However, with sporadic temperatures this spring, seasonal businesses have been struggling. (Morris, 2022)
“When you’re an ice cream stand or a mini golf location, it’s hard to open and be able to really open well when there is going to be six to ten inches of snow,” Fenner said.
However, tourism isn’t the only industry affected by the weather. Golf courses throughout the Central New York area are dealing with the inconsistent temperatures.
“It’s been tough getting the course up and running fully, like getting carts out and letting people actually even walk on the course somedays just because the snow and the cold can damage the course,” Tim Sheridan, an assistant golf professional at Drumlins Golf Club, said.
As late-April turns to May, spring industries throughout the greater Syracuse area are keeping their fingers crossed for warmer temperatures.