How Tahoe businesses are handling a not-so-white Christmas
SACRAMENTO — It's shaping up to be a not-so-white Christmas in Lake Tahoe. With so little snow in the early season, we're looking into how businesses from the mountain to the lake are handling it.
There has been plenty of foot traffic at the base of Palisades Tahoe, just not a lot of runs to ski.
Alex Cox runs 22 Bistro, which sits right at the base of the hill. He said that despite there not being enough snow, visitors "still want to get their food and drink."
"We're hoping to get a little blast here in a couple days and see another wave of people come up right after New Year's," he added.
Down in Tahoe City, wine was flowing at Uncorked even if the weather wasn't wintry yet.
"It's been warm, little hints of precipitation, but not the big bulk we're hoping for – those big snowy storms," Brandon Marich said.
A few doors down at Haven Clothing, shoppers were finding some last-minute deals. Haven owner Jessa Yuroseck sees some non-weather-related variables this year.
"Kids are still in school this week whereas I feel like people come up for Christmas a little earlier, so I think we're seeing the impact of where the Christmas holiday fell," she explained.
Ironically, for the first time in a long time, some places are overstaffed.
"A lot of businesses are saying, 'Hey, hold on. We'll get you your hours as soon as the snow starts flying and the business picks up,' " Cox said.
All it takes is one snowstorm for everything to get back on track.
Now there is a glass-half-full belief. A lot of shops and rental owners told CBS Sacramento that they see a lot of deferrals instead of outright cancellations. So it may be a later start to the year but not a lost one.
