Mild and snowless Winter has lead to less snow tubing for local businesses

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ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The mild and quiet Winter this season has been no complaint for many, but Winter weather businesses are dealing with the consequences. The lack of snow has affected businesses like plowing, skiing, and snow tubing across our region.

At The Hills at Greystone, it is no different.

“This winter season has been tough,” says Alex Odenbach, the General Manager at The Hills at Greystone. “It started out well, we were able to open up for Christmas break which is big for us. But we struggled for the next few weeks and well into January. We just haven’t had any snow making days, where it is in the low 20s or colder where we can make snow and build up our base, it’s just been on and off and a very warm winter.”

To date, there has only been one other Winter in which we have seen less snow. That year was 1932 which stands as our lowest snowfall ever recorded with only 29 inches for the season. With the lack of snow there has been a different mentality with snow tubers, but Odenbach doesn’t attribute it to the lack of snow.

“We have definitely seen a different mentality than the last 2 years and after COVID,” says Odenbach. “It’s more of a last minute decision where we have seen the tubers coming out where things start to book up within the last 48 hours. Whereas the last two years during COVID, COVID Winters, we were booking seven to 10 days out in advance.”

To look at the bright side, although the snow hasn’t been there it does help give them a head start on the golf course. 

“Without the natural snow out on the golf course, we don’t have the frost or piles or snow that are covered by tree lines, where we have to hold off where it is 50/60 degrees,” says Odenbach. “It definitely gives us a head start on the golf course side of things while we try to trickle along and get every weekend worth of the snow tubing side of things.”

The Hills at Greystone will continue to do snow tubing with whatever Winter has left to offer. For more information on tubing at The Hills at Greystone click here.