The light snowfall so far in Toronto has offered one unexpected benefit to those tasked with its removal: time off.
"The only significant difference is my guys had Christmas and New Year's," said Larry Richards, president of East West Snow Services. "I appreciated it myself, because I've been doing this my whole life, I've left a lot of Christmas dinners to go to work."
Most snow removal and plowing companies have only had to plow during the snow that came down in mid-November.
Richards and other companies point out that many contracts are settled ahead of the winter season, which typically means mid-November as well.
So while many plows and trucks haven't had to clear much snow, there hasn't been a major financial pain.
He added they've also been out many times for pavement treatments.
"It definitely came in on time and there's a lot more to come," he said.
Diko Nahabedian is the owner and operator of Mr. Plow King and missed his family gatherings last year.
"Actually a lot of our customers were surprised that we were out and about," he said. "But we have a responsibility that we try to stand by."
While his plows are currently on stand by, he didn't mind the short break.
"It was a lovely holiday season to say the least."
General Manager of Monster Plowing George Armstrong said while it's not uncommon to not see much snow until the new year, he agrees 2018 was unique.
"It's sort of Murphy's Law that even if there hasn't been a lot of snow, Christmas and New Year's, you'll get a blast," he said. "It didn't impact our folks this year, which was fantastic."
In August, The Farmers' Almanac predicted a "biting cold" winter in Ontario, along with slightly higher than normal snowfall.