Almost a month after the Wisconsin Department of Tourism declared a ?no-snow? emergency for the state, Old Man Winter finally got serious and the snow started flying.

?The snow arrived just in time to save February and save the winter tourism season,? said Department Secretary Kevin Shibilski. ?It won?t make up for the complete lack of snow in December and January, but it will prevent extreme damage to the economy.?

With news of the snowfalls, tourists poured into the state?s winter tourism hotspots that had started to look like ghost towns earlier this season.

?Typically, if snow doesn?t arrive before midway through February, it?s too late because people?s minds start drifting to thoughts of spring and summer vacations and any snowfall at that point isn?t enough to capture their imaginations,? Shibilski said.

Shibilski said he didn?t think the snow would be a case of ?too little to late.?

?Snowmobile trails are open and we?re seeing an influx of traditional winter sport enthusiasts,? Shibilski said. ?The snowmobile trails, cross country and downhill skiing areas have built up a good base to last into March.?

The lack of snow might have actually increased participation in some winter tourism activities. Through most of this winter, ice fishers didn?t have to drive through snow to get to well-frozen lakes.

?Currently we have very good ice conditions which made it easy to move around on the ice easily,? Shibilski said. ?Sometimes when there?s a lot of snow, people have a hard time moving around on the ice.?

In addition to snowboards and ice skates, winter tourists also bring with them pockets full of cash. Shibilski said winter tourism is usually a $3 billion industry in the state and a vital source of revenue for rural and Northern towns. Estimates during the no-snow emergency were the season would be down 20 percent, or about $600 million.

?It really has a harder effect on the rural population who have few alternatives economically,? UW Professor Emeritus Tom Heberlein said. ?Tourists can decide to stay down in Madison and go to Kites on Ice, but the rural population depends on income from winter tourism.?

Shibilski said that although the economic impact of a lack of snow can be enormous, winter activity provides opportunities for essential social interaction for tourists and residents who get cabin fever.

?What we see that these are really winter sport communities. There?s a definite social aspect to ice fishing,? Shibilski said of ice-shanty towns that pop up on state lakes. ?People are amazingly approachable. It?s accepted and encouraged to walk around the lake and talk to other anglers.?

Shibilski said that even snowmobiling is a social activity, because people talk during breaks, at forks in the trail or at trailside restaurants and taverns.

During the first dry months of the season, the flow of tourists to Wisconsin did not dry up completely.

?We saw an increased interest in alternative winter tourism activities. That?s partially because we promoted them heavily in light of the lack of snow,? Shibilski said.

As part of the no-snow emergency, the Department increased advertising urban, cultural and historical tourism options in Minneapolis and Chicago markets.