Snow brings hope for Shaver Lake businesses

SHAVER LAKE, Calif. (KFSN) -- With the changing of the seasons, there's a new sense of hope in the Shaver Lake community that even the tiniest bit of snow will bring a whole lot of business.

The crisp winter air coupled with a snowy white backdrop is the picturesque scene this mountain community has been dreaming about.

"There's been a lot of families that come in, have done snowball fights as well, and have enjoyed the day," said Deborah Maresh of Clovis.

For some in the Central Valley, the first snowfall was all it took to get the family up to the mountains.

"Where we're from we can't use our water right now," said Lauren Pearson of Madera Ranchos.

The main street in the Shaver Lake community was bustling with hunters and visitors alike -- a rush of outdoor enthusiasts that business owners are grateful to see.

"Very optimistic. Before it was kind of a little scary, but we're really happy about it. We'd like a whole lot more, we'll shovel the snow, we'll do whatever we have to do," said Linda Sinks, owner of the Hungry Hut.

Sinks says she's been up there for 30 years and has never experienced a summer so dry.

"The ground needs to get really saturated; it's still really dry. The ground is not frozen yet, so we need a couple more really big storms which we're really hoping to get," she said.

The area shouldn't see any snow in the next week, but according to some locals, snow this early in the season is a good sign.

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