By Jacob Carpenter
The State News

Richard Liscombe isn't selling the typical winter footwear. The owner of Footgear in downtown East Lansing said he has seen more sandals, rather than boots, walking out the door.

"When you don't have any snow, boot sales are a little less than normal," Liscombe said. "In December, which is a really good boot-selling month, we barely sold anything, which is unprecedented. We figure this is likely to continue."

Footgear, 108 Division St., isn't the only local retailer experiencing a winter-buying backlash.

Mark Heinrich, assistant manager of Moosejaw Mountaineering, 555 E. Grand River Ave., said his store didn't experience a drop in sales during the holiday season but is starting to see a decrease in customers as temperatures continue to rise.

"It didn't really affect us because of Christmas," Heinrich said. "We have seen some lower numbers, but I do think we will make up for it when the winter comes."

While stores that rely on colder weather are taking a hit, other retailers are enjoying the warmth. Ken Weinstein, manager of Maggie Moo's Ice Cream and Treatery, 2981 Preyde Blvd., said sales at his Eastwood Towne Center store jumped as a result of warmer temperatures.

"We've seen about a 15 to 20 percent increase in sales from this time last year," Weinstein said.

Andy Hatzos, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service office in White Lake, said winter temperatures have been abnormal compared to previous years. Above-average winter temperatures are caused by fluctuating water temperatures from the Pacific Ocean, he added.

The pattern is most commonly referred to as El Niño.

"We've been lifting a lot of warmer air from the south, and there isn't a lot of snow to keep the ground cool," said Janis Laurens, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service office in Grand Rapids.

Warmer ground temperatures have caused precipitation to melt, which has led to a lack of snow in the area.

According to the National Climatic Data Center, December 2005 temperatures plummeted, creating a decrease in El Niño effects. In December 2006, average highs in Lansing exceeded 40 degrees — a sharp rise compared with the 29.3 degree average high in December 2005.

As January begins, Laurens predicts a slight deviation from the above-normal winter temperatures.

"It looks like next week will be in the high 30s, which is still above normal," Laurens said.