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Fuel oil used to heat homes costs 68.5% more than this time last year

Nov 10, 2022
That's one of the standout numbers from the latest consumer price index, and it will mean an expensive winter for many Americans.
"Unfortunately, we're going into this season with lower [fuel oil] inventories than typical," says UC Berkeley’s Severin Borenstein.
koinseb/Getty Images

Rural Americans brace for more expensive propane

Oct 29, 2021
Heading into winter, the price of residential propane is higher than it's been in 10 years.
Propane is at its highest price in a decade.
Go Nakamura via Getty Images

Pandemic drives backyard ice rink boom

Jan 18, 2021
Families in the Upper Midwest are getting creative as they look for outdoor activities for their kids during the cold winter months.
Shea Finnegan, age 6, skates with friends on Dec. 13, 2020. Allen Ratai built this rink outside his family home in Duluth and has been helping friends build their own rinks this year, as well.
James Napoli

More people unable to pay utility bills, with colder months coming

Nov 13, 2020
Electric and gas debt is expected to be more than $24 billion by the end of this year, at least three times what it was last year.
The protections against shut-offs are lifting and disconnections have already begun.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Builders battle freezing temps to keep construction boom going

Feb 21, 2018
With tight deadlines, construction often doesn't stop for the weather.
"You just gotta suck it up," said Kai Yee, a laborer in Cleveland, Ohio when asked how he deals with extreme cold. “If [you] can’t do the job, they’ll bring somebody else who can. Everybody’s replaceable.” 
Adrian Ma/ for Marketplace

Wisconsin lake yields prized sturgeon, if you can spear it

Apr 6, 2017
Frozen Lake Winnebago is no deterrent for anglers looking for the huge fish that is the source of Russian caviar.
Freshwater sturgeon can be found around the world and can weigh up to 100 pounds.
David Silverman/Getty Images

Repairs keep Great Lakes shipping industry working through winter

Feb 8, 2017
Changing its business model helped Great Lakes Towing survive and expand.
Workers build the tug Cleveland at Great Lakes Towing. The newer tugboats are named after ports.
Elizabeth Miller/ideastream

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Biking industry keeps pedaling into winter with fat tires

Feb 3, 2017
Fat bikes have increased in popularity recently all over the country, not just for riding in cold temperatures. They can be used like a standard mountain bike on all kinds of terrain.
Fat bikes hang in the maintenance department of Freewheel Bike in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
Britta Greene

Warm winters mean investors’ cold shoulder for coat makers

Dec 2, 2016
The market for winter clothing is shrinking, but manufacturers haven’t acted.
Pedestrians walk along wet and slushy streets in Manhattan as warmer temperatures melt snow on January 27, 2016 in New York City.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Fake snow is a genuine business plan for ski resorts

Jan 29, 2015
"Juneuary" weather forces ski areas to employ a costly option, snowmaking machines.