Updated 01/06/2005 05:18 PM

Some businesses are affected by the warm weather

By: Tracey Early & Web Staff

Some businesses are affected by the warm weather
While the unseasonably warm temperatures melt away revenue for some winter businesses in the Triangle, others can feel the sun in their wallets.

So far this year, temperatures have been above average and feel more like spring than winter.

But for weather-related businesses, it is a no-win situation.

It's not unusual to see golf maintenance crews trimming the greens but it is this time of year.

Lochmere Golf Club's operations manager Steve Ostroff said the grass isn't the only green they're seeing.

“Year to date we've already made over $10,000 more than we did last year at this time of the year. And with the weather being good for the next ten days, people are going to keep coming out to play.”

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The swing in temperatures has some golfers, like Bill Kraus, planning their day around it.

"We're on our way down to Pinehurst to play there today. We're hitting all the places and enjoying the weather," Kraus said.

But for Steve Walker at Slope and Sail Tours, the phone calls coming in aren't for making reservations. "We go to Wintergreen, outstanding snow making but it still has to be cold to make snow."

And the ski trip planned for this weekend, 75-percent of the people have already called to rebook."

Some businesses are affected by the warm weather
Slope and Sail has had to reschedule hundreds of trips already this year but walker said he's learned to plan ahead.

"We have certainly survived in the 20 years that I’ve been doing this, we have certainly survived extended warm spells before so we have anticipated that being the case again. You have to scale back and make adjustments, but you know, we'll be back next year," Walker explained.

The warm weather is also affecting the Alpine Ski Center in Raleigh. The manager there said ski rentals have decreased over the past few weeks.