Mild weather impacting local winter businesses

MID-MICHIGAN (WJRT) -- (11/28/09) -- Another warmer-than-normal weekend has some in our state giving "thumbs up" to Mother Nature, but others would actually prefer a blizzard to make it seem more like the holiday season.

For just about anyone doing anything outdoors on Saturday, it was another fine weekend day. But not everyone is enjoying the relatively mild temperatures, including the owner of Whispering Pines Christmas Tree Farm -- who says the warmer weather is hurting sales.

"When it's snowing hard, that's when the customers come out the most," explained Fred Fras. "They love being out in the snow and that."

It seems Fras' customers prefer a good old fashioned snow storm to conjure up images of Christmases long, long ago.

"It doesn't feel like Christmas, it feels like spring," said Grand Blanc resident Kerrie Hajek. "I would like some snow."

Fras has been growing Christmas trees for 56 years and this is one of the mildest autumns he can remember. The weather this season has actually been pretty good to grow Christmas trees, but now that it's time to sell them, the Fras family says enough with the mild stuff.

Bring on the snow.

"There's a little ambiance with the snow on the ground and it just gets people more in the mood I think," said Fras.

It also hasn't been cold enough for area skiers to hit the slopes. The Mount Holly Ski Resort in northern Oakland County says temperatures haven't been consistently low enough to start up its snow-making machines.

The resort says there's a chance they may open by the middle of next week -- if the weather cooperates.

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