TRAVERSE CITY — A cherry, most likely, will be the only thing falling from the sky in Traverse City this New Year's Eve, but the region's slow start to winter may not last long into 2012.
Without another 3.3 inches of snow before Sunday, 2011's start to winter will go down in the record books as the least-snowiest in 80 years.
"The snow's not supposed to pick up until Sunday," said Tim Locker, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gaylord.
Only 5.7 inches fell as of Friday, shy of the 9 inches that fell in 1934. The least-snowiest start to winter on record was in 1931, when just 4 inches fell before the new year.
Warm temperatures and dry skies are good news for those headed to downtown's CherryT Ball Drop. Locker said temperatures shouldn't dip below 36 and skies should remain relatively free of precipitation until Sunday.
But that dry spell won't last long. The region could see its first real bout with lake-effect snow as a cold-air mass moves into the region with wind gusts up to 30 miles per hour. Traverse City could see more than 8 inches before Monday night.
"This is the best set-up of the year for lake-effect," Locker said.
That's good news for skiers and snowmobilers, but it's too late for the Kalkaska Winterfest. Organizers said they will postpone the Jan. 14-15 event until early March. Even with a fresh coating of snow, there's not enough time to prepare for the event's highlight -- the Midwest International Sled Dog Race.
"It takes more than getting snow in time. It requires grooming and getting a solid base," said race organizer Jim Collins. "It should have weeks of preparation."
Collins said this is only the second time in the event's 48 years that it was postponed, but those who signed up early for the race are being patient
"There's not really any place in the Midwest that has snow right now, so they've been pretty understanding," he said. "We're just hoping and praying for snow for the rest of the town and region."
Areas like Kalkaska that count on snow for business are being pinched by the odd weather, but in Traverse City, clear roads are drawing tourists from downstate.
"Business is actually up considerably," said Ron Robinson, director of operations for Summerside Properties, which runs the hotels Cambria Suites, the Comfort Inn and Best Western in Traverse City. "People are traveling because the roads are clear. They're saying, 'let's go.'"
Robinson said occupancy rates at Cambria and the Comfort Inn are up 77 percent and 70 percent respectively. Occupancy in the Traverse City market as a whole is up 17 percent.
"Traverse City has so much to offer besides the snow. We're not seeing the cars with ski racks or anything like that ... people are coming up for the extra shopping or to visit relatives."
At the History Center of Traverse City, Executive Director Bill Kennis expected to break attendance records at the annual Festival of Trains.
"We've got nine people deep watching the trains," Kennis said.
More than 8,000 people visited the exhibit as of Friday, close to last year's record attendance of 8,300. Kennis said they could see 10,000 people before the exhibit closes.
"We're setting records in terms of revenue," he said.
Road commissions also are celebrating the green start to winter. In Leelanau County, road commission Manager Herb Cradduck said they used 1,000 fewer gallons of diesel fuel this year compared to last.
"Every day you don't put trucks on the road you save money," Cradduck said. "We don't really miss (the snow), it's hard on our budget. But I'd still like to see snowmobilers and shoppers out there. It would make a lot of people happy."
