PRESTON – During a normal winter, the owners of Preston Snowmobile say that trucks and trailers are usually lined up bumper-to-bumper along the road outside their shop in Preston. But for the second year in a row, an unusually low – if not nonexistent – snow count has halted business right along with snowmobile registrations, meaning the road to Preston Snowmobile, along with the miles of trails in Chenango County, has been less traveled to say the least.
“It’s been terrible,” said Evalyn Blood, co-owner of Preston Snowmobile. “I knew we were going to be down this month, but nothing like this.”
According to the National Weather Service in Binghamton, halfway through the official winter season, there has only been 5.3 inches of recorded snowfall, well on pace to beat the record low for December through February which stands at 30.9 inches, occurring back in 1988-1989.
“This time it’s two in a row; it has not been good,” said Blood, who with her husband, has owned the store since 1967. “You can do all you can do. But the only thing you really need is that four-letter word beginning with S – snow.”
According to Robert Perry, the president of the New York State Snowmobile Association, the popular winter recreational activity, and the industry it has created, accounts for $875 million for the state economy annually.
“This all trickles down,” Perry said, citing snowmobile sales, rentals, insurance, overall maintenance, fuel, parts and service, travel expenses, registrations fees, and clothing as far-reaching economic factors related to riding. “The hotels, the restaurants, the parts stores all suffer in the end.”
Homer Smith, owner of The Outpost Restaurant in McDonough, a popular stop on the snowmobile trail, said he knows firsthand the trouble a weak winter can cause for the rural tourism industry.
“Business is way down,” said Smith, who is also the McDonough town supervisor. “It really affects everyone, especially the little businesses in the country.”
Under regular conditions, Smith said he sees between 200 and 300 riders per weekend. Other than the two he had on New Year’s Day, the owner says it’s been pretty quiet at The Outpost.
