WASHINGTON D.C., DC — For those who love the snow and cold that a "normal" winter delivers in the upper Midwest, this has been a season to forget.
Owners of businesses related to winter tourism and recreation WISH they could forget, but their lack of income and mounting financial hardship won't let them. Many have suffered significant losses, some which are putting livelihoods in jeopardy.
U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin said Wednesday that there may be some help on the way, announcing that businesses in northern Wisconsin may be eligible for disaster relief if they have suffered losses related to the unusually mild and snowless winter of 2023-24. The lack of snow has caused winter tourists to cancel trips they would usually book to snowmobile, ice fish, or cross-country ski.
The National Weather Service reports that snowfall statewide in Wisconsin has been 20 to 30 inches below normal this winter, even worse in the Lake Superior snowbelt (Ashland, Iron, and Vilas counties) where snowfall was running 40 to 70 inches below normal.
“In Wisconsin, our snowy winters are not just another season, but also a huge economic driver, particularly in the Northern part of the state. This year’s low snowfall has hit many Wisconsin businesses hard and we need to do more to ensure they get some relief,” said Senator Baldwin. “I was happy to partner with Governor Evers to successfully push the Biden administration to ensure Northern Wisconsin businesses impacted by this year's low snowfall can get the support and help they need.”
Sen. Baldwin and Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers have been engaged in ongoing communication with the Small Business Administration (SBA), which recently confirmed that federal disaster coverage extends to Wisconsin businesses impacted by lack of snow. Help will come in the form of disaster loans, which come with no interest for the first year and a maximum interest rate of 4% for the remainder of the loan.
For more information, log on to the SBA website, call the SBA service center at (800) 659-2955 or send an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. to find out more about disaster assistance.
Here are the deadlines for applying, by county.
Apply by April 8
- Bayfield
- Douglas
Apply by April 15
- Sheboygan
Apply by April 29
- Buffalo
- Burnett
- Kenosha
- Racine
Apply by May 6
- Barron
- Brown
- Calumet
- Chippewa
- Clark
- Dunn
- Eau Claire
- Outagamie
- Pepin
- Pierce
- Polk
- Rusk
- St. Croix
- Sawyer
- Trempealeau
- Washburn
- Waupaca
- Winnebago
Apply by May 13
- Ashland
- Langlade
- Lincoln
- Marathon
- Menominee
- Oconto
- Shawano
- Taylor
Apply by May 29
- Forest
- Iron
- Oneida
- Price
- Vilas
Apply by July 3
- Florence
- Marinette
Apply by July 31
- Adams
- Columbia
- Crawford
- Dane
- Dodge
- Fond du Lac
- Grant
- Green
- Green Lake
- Iowa
- Jackson
- Jefferson
- Juneau
- La Crosse
- Lafayette
- Marquette
- Monroe
- Portage
- Richland
- Rock
- Sauk
- Vernon
- Walworth
- Washington
- Waukesha
- Waushara
- Wood
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