Northwoods tourism groups ask state for help as warm winter hurts local businesses

Economic development officials say 7-county region lost $6.5M from lack of snow

A typical Wisconsin winter sees the seven-county Northwoods region come to life with visitors snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and ice fishing.

But not this year. On the first day of February, it was nearly 40 degrees in Minocqua and normally snow-covered trails were bare.

Krystal Westfahl, president of the Let’s Minocqua Visitors Bureau, said there’s very little snow on the ground in north-central Wisconsin, and none in the “foreseeable forecast.”...