WAUPACA COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – With the warmer weather, many snowmobile trails across Northeast Wisconsin are closed until further notice.
Local businesses around Waupaca County rely on snowmobile season, and are used to more foot traffic around this time.
Pup’s Irish Pub in Waupaca County is typically not quiet on a Sunday in January.
Bartender Denise Mande says during a snowy winter, she can expect a full bar.
“Oh it’s packed, the parking lots packed, the trails are full, you see people zooming in and out, it’s nice.”
The lack of snow on the ground has closed the Waupaca County Snowmobile Trails.
Workers at businesses nearby hope it snows soon for themselves and their customers.
“The local residents, they come in and out and they just talk about how they wish they had more snow. Now it’s supposed to rain so the trails are definitely going to be trashed…business has been a little slow,” says Mande.
It’s a similar story over at Royalton Station.
“When we had snow a couple weeks ago, we had a lot of snowmobilers in here, we would have maybe 10 to 15 at a time getting gas, if they weren’t getting gas they were coming in getting snacks, drinks,” says Royalton Station store clerk, Lettie Elliott.
Elliott has noticed business has slowed down.
“Without the snow and the snowmobile traffic it’s less in the winter time, now if we get some more snow we’ll have some more traffic coming in.”
The warmer temperatures came as a surprise to many local businesses.
“All the sudden we got warm weather, and warm weather, and now there’s no snow and the trails are closed, so it’s really put an impact on everything,” says Mande.
Elliot and Mande are both hoping the winter weather will pick back up to increase business.
“I’m hoping we’ll get a snow storm,” says Elliott.
“Let it snow,” says Mande.
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