Heavy snowfall in Olympia caused local businesses to pivot operations to save sales
Olympia seeing fresh snowfall, slick roads
Thurston County will see a few inches of snow Thursday and Olympia businesses are ready to accommodate for the fresh snowfall. Q13's Hana Kim reports.
OLYMPIA, Wash. - The moment snow started falling, it was a race to get errands done quickly.
Snow fell non-stop Thursday causing hilly roads to get slippery. Several drivers turned around at Lakeridge Dr. that intersects Deschutes Parkway.
Q13 News saw a bus driver stop in the middle of the hill, it took the bus a few minutes to crawl down the hill but safely made it down. As temperatures dip overnight, look out for slippery hills and overpasses.
"I got to pick up a piece of salmon and all the side dishes," Olympia resident Steve Hager said.
Hager says it’s his wife’s birthday, so there is no time to waste.
One place he stopped on Thursday was Wagner’s European Bakery in Olympia where cakes and pastries are begging to be eaten.
"We are confirming orders so we are not overproducing," owner Todd Wagner said.
Every inch that falls could mean less baking for workers at Wagner’s.
Wagner says all the baking happens overnight, something like their signature cinnamon bread takes a good six hours to make.
With the unpredictability of the weather Wagner says it’s hard to gauge how much to bake for the next day.
Also with the hint of first snow, they’ve already received cancelations.
They are offering everything from deliveries to delays.
"We can postpone their orders if they can hold off until Monday or whenever that may be," Wagner said.
With businesses pivoting so much during the pandemic just to survive, this weekend’s snow event is yet another hurdle.
"We are looking forward to a romantic Valentine’s Day weekend," Chelsea Farms Oyster Bar owner Shina Wysocki said.
Wysocki says they will make the most of mother nature. They added lights and candles in their outdoor eating area. Wysocki hopes couples will come in to enjoy the winter landscape.
But where people go will come down to how much snowfall we see over the next couple of days.
"If it gets to be a foot or two deep we will be staying home we have a generator we live in the country," Hager said.