As I have friends that this directly affects,

“For shops, winter and snowfall can make or break a season. What may have been the best, most strategic and categorized buy in February of last year may turn into a total nightmare if Old Man Winter isn’t cooperating. And when shops that still have plenty of this year’s products on the sales floor or in back stock head off to SIA each January, manufacturers usually brace themselves for a tough prebook for the following season. With snowfall levels across the U.S. running the gamut from epic to disparaging, the 2004/05 season had potential to be one of those years…

http://www.twsbiz.com/twbiz/features/article/0,21214,1065123,00.html