FAIRFIELD -- Saturday was a bit of an oddity for Jon Eustis, manager of Joseph's Clothing and Sporting Goods.

Customers stood in line with skis needing reconditioning. Families stalked the winter clothes looking for the latest in warmth and style. Couples checked out the cross country skis and snowshoes.

Winter has shown signs recently that may actually visit Maine this year, which finally has given businesses owners whose profit depends on the snow a reason to smile. "It's nice to have a busy day," Eustis said while taking a break from helping customers. "The snow really helps. You really notice it. Today's been a good day. People are excited."

But neither Eustis nor others in the snow industry were ready to throw a celebration due to Saturday's up tick in business. December and the early part of January were not only snowless, but warm, which is lethal to winter enthusiasm. And while central Maine has picked up a few inches of snow in recent weeks, it is likely too little too late to do more than make a completely miserable season a bit more palatable.

"It's really discouraging, especially when it's so warm," Eustis said. "It was not a good December."

The sluggish early sales were the result of a nearly perfect storm of tranquil weather. Last winter the calendar seemed to get stuck in November. After a bit of snow early on, it retreated and never made a return. People almost always think of the most recent example when considering purchases, especially big-ticket items like snowmobiles, snowblowers and plows, said John Thimlar, manager of North Country Power Sports in Oakland. When this year started snowless, and was warm to boot, customers stayed away in droves.

"People have been a little hesitant the past few years because of the weather," Thimlar said.

Last year, even with a dearth of snow, Eustis could count on sales of cold weather gear, like coats and hats, to help pick up the bottom line. This year people were wearing T-shirts and jeans until after Christmas. That meant not only were people not buying skis and snowboards for holiday gifts, they were not buying much at all.

"I think people really held off this year," Eustis said. "If you have a poor fourth quarter it's tough to make it up the rest of the winter."

The recent snow is helping, but more is needed, particularly in areas away from the mountains and northern Maine, for the masses to begin thinking about having fun in the snow.

"A bunch of little storms do help, but it would be nice to have something measured in feet versus inches," said Stephen Nass, owner of Kennebec Bike & Ski in Hallowell. "People have to have snow in their back yard to get them really excited."

Nass can sense anticipation in customers, however. Cabin fever, it turns out, is not just from staying inside, but from snow lovers inability to enjoy their sports. Even though there is not enough snow in central and southern Maine for snowmobilers to ride without concern for rocks and logs, Jason Whittemore, manager of Whittemore & Sons of Skowhegan has seen an increase in snowmobile sales. He also sells snowblowers.

"People have been waiting to play and they're getting closer to it," Whittemore said. "It's better. It's certainly picking up."

When it comes to snow removal, people are still making due with what they have, said Don Michaud, part owner of Michaud's Welding and Trailer Hitches in Winslow. His business sells snow plows, but so far people have limited most of their purchases to parts.

"Typically, people will buy snowblowers early in the season to be prepared," said Whittemore. "Then we'll get a second wave once we get snow storms and existing blowers start to break."

So far, the second wave has not hit. "I think another storm is what we might need," Whittemore said. "At this point, we're getting more repairs."

It had been a few years since Thimlar, who commutes from Farmington each day, had noticed a paucity of snowmobile-towing trucks headed up the road toward the mountains. On Saturday, however, he counted more than 20 vehicles with snowmobiles in tow, all likely headed toward the Snowdeo in Rangeley. That, he hopes, is just a sign of things to come.

"It's the first time it snows and it stays around," Thimlar said. "The way the weather pattern's been, I'm no meteorologist, but cross your fingers."

A classically winter finish could do more than help salvage this year.

"You can never make back what you've lost, but we can certainly recover from what cold be a potentially bad year," Whittemore said. "It would help next year more than it would help this year."

Craig Crosby -- 861-9253

ccrosby@centralmaine.com