Winter storm affects busiest time of year for Glen Ellyn small businesses
GLEN ELLYN, Ill. (CBS) – The snow was coming down Thursday afternoon, but we saw some of our first signs of flakes in the western suburbs.
CBS 2's Andrew Ramos headed out to Glen Ellyn with a look at the conditions.
Just within a couple of ours, the conditions started out slow and calm, but everything changed around 1 p.m. That's when the snow started coming down hard and the wind picked up.
"We've been through worse conditions, but hey it's not 95 degrees with humidity, so we can't really complain," said Amy, who was out on the town on Thursday.
Leslie Vesevick, a small business owner, said she had a couple of bridal appointments for wedding invitations on Friday morning, when temperatures are expected to be frigid. "We're going to talk to those brides and so I will be here. We will see."
By 4 p.m., the main street was a ghost town as visibility went down significantly.
There were some shoppers along the main street in the village where many small businesses rely heavily on shoppers during the holiday season. For some, it's their biggest time of year.
This holiday season's winter storm was not exactly on business owners' wish lists.
"Most people, senior citizens, when they see snow in the forecast, they do not come out," said Joe Ethridge, a small business owner. "They don't care if its 3 inches or 20 inches. They are not gonna come out, so that's how it affects our business."
Patrick Brennan, another small business owner said, "I think being a local business, we get supported by our community really well. So Friday, we're going to have a band here and hopefully that draws the people out for the weekend so it's all about the Christmas spirit."
