Where is the snow? That is the question swirling — unlike actual flurries — across New York City and its suburbs, where sidewalks have been relentlessly gray and yards stubbornly green this winter. After a decade of higher-than-average snowfalls, including last year’s snowiest January ever, nary a flake has fallen since the freak October storm.

The lack of wintry precipitation comes as a relief to many — no lost power, no snarled commutes, no lagoons of slush. The city, too, is saving on salt and overtime. But for others, the absence has upset the rhythms of the season, stealing the sense of giddiness and grace that accompanies a robust snow. And in what might be thought of as the snow-based sector of the economy — hardware stores, ski shops, snow-plow services, even corner shoeshine stands — the drought has been exceptionally bad for business.

Making it even worse: After the generous helping of snow last winter — at 61.9 inches, more than double the annual average for the city — some businesses increased their inventories of snow-related merchandise.

Polstein’s Home Center in Brooklyn ordered 20 percent more of everything — shovels, salt, snowbrushes, snow blowers, sleds and saucers. Justo Martinez, the manager, is buried under 1,200 shovels on the floor and another 8,000 in storage. He just cut $100 from the price tag of a $299 snowblower. “That’s practically cost,” he said.