Snow blowers sometimes in short supply

TURNERS FALLS, Mass. (WWLP) - As more snow heads for Western Massachusetts, people looking for a snow blower may have a hard time finding one.

In a typical year, stores that sell snow blowers would start putting them on sale or clearance within the next few weeks, yet many stores, like the Aubuchon Hardware in Turners Falls say that they have run out of snow blowers.

They will still get a few more in, but most of the big models are sold out everywhere. They have also had a lot more people looking to repair their blowers because they've gotten more use.

It's not just that there have been more storms this year; it is the kind of storms that have motivated people to get a machine to help with their snow removal.

"What really brings people in is the rain and the ice. People can handle shoveling a little snow, but when you get some ice on top, that's when people begin to worry about their roofs, and shoveling is hard to get it out of the way because it's very heavy when you get the rain in there," Steve Valeski of Aubuchon Hardware said.

They will have a few more in store by Friday. They are also running lower than usual on other winter products like salt.