KNOXVILLE, Tennessee — Isabella McAnally works at her mother’s small business and when she heard there was a snow storm coming, she was at a loss for words.
"The rain today has taken a toll and then with the snowstorm, we were kind of like 'AHHHH,'" said McAnally.
With COVID-19 challenging several local businesses, a wintry mix adds to the list of uncertainties threatening revenue and keeping customers at home.
"We don't know what it's going to do for us, and we've already had many unknowns this year," McAnally said.
Isabella McAnally with Earth to the Old City on Market Square said wintry weather adds to the hesitation customers already have. She said people will want to stay in as travel becomes more dangerous, and temperatures drop.
It's an unsettling reality for small businesses across Market Square. Several business owners said that the weather and the COVID-19 pandemic terrifies them.
"For us, it's just kind of scary," McAnally said.
For places that rely on people opening the doors, the bad weather cuts down on their traffic. Businesses like Earth to Old City depend on foot-traffic for most of their customers.
It's a familiar sentiment that other places like Ruby Sunshine know can be detrimental to an already struggling market. Businesses are finding themselves filled with more birds chirping than people talking.
"It's a huge difference for us, especially with us being on the square and everybody who comes in has to walk outside and walk around," she said.
But all joy isn't lost at the prospect of having white snowflakes on the ground come Christmas morning.
"Who doesn't want a white Christmas every now and then?" McAnally said.