Winter weather is no match for Store 6174 in Watertown, New York. It’s just 20 minutes from Copenhagen, the town that received the most snowfall in the continental U.S. last winter — a mind-boggling 256 inches. But, the Watertown store never shut its doors due to weather.
“We did have some times when a skeleton crew kept the store open,” explained Store Manager Travis Kuder. “But we’re part of the Snow Belt.” And when the snow starts piling up, that’s when customers rely on the store the most. Once snow reaches about 4 feet, roof rakes become very important products on our shelves, as do salt pucks that melt ice and allow runoff to drain from rooftops.
Watertown is in the state’s scenic and remote North Country, east of Lake Ontario and not far from the Thousand Islands. The region’s winter weather is shaped by what’s called “lake-effect” snowstorms, a phenomenon that produces tremendous amounts of snow. Only three places on Earth experience lake-effect snowstorms: the Great Lakes, the eastern shore of Hudson Bay and the west coast of the Japanese islands of Honshu and Hokkaido.
Snow storm near Watertown, New York store
Every year, the store does a home winterization workshop. It’s particularly popular with customers stationed at nearby Fort Drum who are preparing for their first Snow Belt winter.
The store operates under a winterization plan, too. Snow removal is a top priority. A bulldozer comes in regularly to clear the parking lot. It pushes the snow into a mound, and when the mound gets too big, dump trucks haul the snow away. Associates perform a smaller-scale but no less essential role in the battle against accumulating snow: They shovel out the backs of customers’ trucks so they can load up their purchases.
Store Garden Center covered in snow from winter storm
Sometimes winter tasks go beyond standard associate duties. “Last winter it was very cold for many days, so there were a lot of issues with car batteries.” Travis said. “I can recall many times going out to customers’ cars and helping them with batteries.”
Are you ready for snow? See how you can make sure your home is ready for cold weather this winter.
