Truckee merchants energized, not discouraged by recent weather

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) -One person called it a bluebird day in Truckee. The first day of sunshine in more than a week. A look at the trees and you can see they are dripping with snow.

The downtown roads are clear. The snow mounds show just how much has fallen on this Sierra town.

“We’ve gotten lots of snow,” says Stefanie Oliveria, owner of Cabona’s. “I tell people this is how it used to be. We used to get a lot of early snow. We got snow in January, February, and March. So, if you’ve lived here a long time you are used to a lot of snow.”

Stefanie says Cabona’s has been in the family since the early 1900s. She has been here for 50 years.

Undoubtedly she’s faced just about any scenario that the weather and what comes with it brings to Truckee. For ten days or so, business owners have faced on-and-off closures of Interstate 80, the main artery between Reno and Sacramento.

The unrelenting snow means locals have been cooped up in their homes. Many just had to take advantage of the sunshine.

“I was in my house for two weeks for the most part,” says Cassie Hebel, Director of Truckee Downtown Merchants Association. “This is my first day out.” Cassie’s family owns “Cooking Gallery”.

As Director of the Truckee Downtown Merchants Association, she says those who set up shop here understand the snow, while heavy to shovel, brings in tons of tourists who want to take advantage of some of the best skiing possible.

Those tourists though must eat and shop when not on the slopes.

“This time of year it is like we want our visitors to come in and enjoy everything we have to offer,” says Cassie.

At the “Mane Attraction” owner Melody Meng says her clientele tends to be local. In some ways that put her at an advantage.

Clients know how to drive in the weather, and when they can’t, make an appointment.

“We do get cancellations,” says Melody. “But sometimes the cancellations are filled with tourists that are here that will walk in off the street and want something done. And you have that opening because your client can’t get out of their driveway.”

Truckee businesses see road closures as only a temporary stop to what promises to be a heavily trafficked winter season.

Ask locals what attributes a business owner must have in Truckee. They say optimism and flexibility.

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