This lack of snow is really hurting businesses that depend on it.
When the roads are this clear and this dry, you don't need plows, you don't need salt, and therefore the plow drivers don't get paid.
"This month has been absolutely terrible for us," says Rob Garpiel, president of Garpiel Landscaping Co. in Saginaw County's Carrollton Township.
He started in the snow business in 1997 and has never seen anything like this. "This has probably been one of the worst that I can remember."
Usually by now the snow equipment has cleaned up several storms, called "events" by those in the industry.
"Snow is about 40% of our sales for the year." And so far, December has brought in about 12% of what it has in year's past.
It's bad for businesses, and bad for roughly 40-people in the Garpiel crew who rely on snow for work.
"By this time of the year, we're humming and these guys are usually working and not collecting unemployment and it's great for everybody."
Snow removal companies rely on the weather information from year's past to predict where they will be this year and few could have predicted this mild trend.
"When you're dealing with mother nature, every day that goes by, it's just a day you lose. You don't get that day back to make back that potential revenue."
That's why it's always wise to think ahead.
"We start saving in may to pay the bill in the night in december and january and february. You can't rely on it."
Garpiel Landscaping services from 150 to 200 accounts in the Tri-Cities.
Some of those are large commercial businesses.
They say they've been spoiled the last four years and are hoping for a white January and February.
