and the dow closed up 227 points. analysts say there could be more wild swings as long as tensions go on. we can only hope for wild swings in the weather which would mean it would be warm at least some of the time. this winter has been brutal for a huge stretch of the country including places that usually escape it. as abc s alex perez found out, it has also been good for some businesses. reporter: mother nature s march madness. raleigh, north carolina, cars flipped upside down and skidding on icy roads. in arkansas, along the interstate near the tennessee border, a truck accident backed up traffic for miles. passengers stranded for hours. an ice storm in houston coated the area with a quarter inch of dangerous ice, bringing down trees and knocking out power. it s been a winter for the books, nowhere more so than chicago. where it s official. they ve shivered through the most days at or below zero ever. walloping industries, too, car sales at ford and gm are down. dealerships, empty.
walloping industries, too, car sales at ford and gm are down. dealerships, empty. nobody comes out. just this snow. they are afraid two weeks before it and it takes them two weeks to come back out. reporter: but winter has thawed out a few winners. roofing contractors and car repair can barely keep up. ralph has seen more cars damaged by potholes than ever before. our business is through the roof. if i could get more hours out of my guys, i would. reporter: at ace hardware, sales of snow blowers, shovellers and other cold weather items are up 135%. travel website jetsetter says bookings for warm destinations rupp 38%. or supposedly warm destinations, even in new orleans, mardi gras is mighty cold. the coldest fat tuesday since 1986. and here in the midwest, it s been so cold, lake michigan and the other great lakes are more than 90% frozen. more frozen than they have been in the last 20 years. alex perez, abc news, chicago. another type of business doing well. anything delive