Winter businesses waiting for colder weather to come

Our elusive winner has businesses that depend on the cold on thin ice. Check out this bird's eye view of Lake Mille Lacs from today. As you can see, there is open water on what should be a prime spot for ice anglers right now. WCCO is Reg Chapman explains how businesses that rely on tourism are out in the cold. Resorts along Lake Mille Lacs are suffering because of an abundance of open water. There's not a lot to do other than ice fishing and snowmobiling, and unfortunately we don't have either. Amanda Brant's family has owned this resort since 1969 and can't remember the last time a lack of ice has shut this business down. Barricades now keep lifelong customers off the ice because it's not safe. Our main bay, which goes from this omni point over to this point, but it's just a small area will freeze up the first and that's protected. So out there we have about 10 inches. The lack of ice is also causing problems throughout the area. Brant calls it the trickle down effect. Everybody's hurting drives through the towns and you look at the restaurants, the grocery stores, um, bait shops. It affects us all. But again, there's just nothing you can do. So when God sends the snow and cold, people should just flock up here. Yes, flock on up here. Almost all the houses would be out there in a normal year. Eddie Lieback's resort is also closed. Open water where he is has left his workers not working and every ice house he owns sitting on dry land. Both Lieback and Brant families say until Mother Nature freezes the lake, there's nothing they can do except wait and keep safety a top priority. But a wally isn't worth the life, so it'll come. It'll be a short season, but when it comes, we'll be fully staffed and ready to go along Lake Mille Lacs. Reg Chapman WCCO News. Scientists say how we make and use energy is causing warmer winters here in the Twin Cities. The average winter temperature has climbed nearly six degrees since the 1970s.