Last night we had a dusting of snow, and you might be wondering why that would be of interest.   The fact is, I live in the Northeast and today is the last day of January and this is all the snow we have gotten so far.

This strange weather has resulted in plants blooming early and even as late as two weeks ago I noticed birds of various types and colors hanging around.  Normally these birds would have made their way south for the winter.

Humans were also affected, already many seem to be suffering from the hayfever which usually occurs around the end of March.

You might be thinking what is the big fuss about snow?

Well the lack of snowing interrupts winter activities such as skiing and snow boarding.  The lack of the white stuff is economically devastating for the resorts depending on snow activities. 

Many seasonal workers such as landscapers depends on  ploughing to earn some money during the winter season.  These workers along with the municipal plough operators will be caught short.

I also heard recently that several heating oil companies where forced to shut down, leaving many without a pay check.

On the other hand this was a good thing for municipalities and school district with tight budgets, the lack of snow meant savings on ploughing and heating oil.

Not to be overlooked is the consumer who was looking at a hefty heating oil bill, but lack of cold weather eased the pain.

So snow does have an economic impact on lives here in the northeast so where did the snow go?