Snow Blowers Flying Out Of Stores

(CBS) -- They seem to be rarer than Super Bowl tickets.

Snow blowers in the Chicago area are in short supply – and they're even more sought after as another big snow storm heads our way.

One Logan Square hardware store was completely out Friday. It wasn't the only retail location with a shortage, CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker reports.

Five snow blowers -- that's all that's left on the nearly empty shelves at the Lowes on Narragansett.

"This is honestly the first time we've sold out this quickly," an employee says.

It's a combination of the nearly 50 inches we've had so far and the up to 9 inches predicted this weekend that's driving the sale of snow blowers. It's also increasing demand for repairs.

Customers like Ray Tosoc were calling on Rosso's Ace in Portage Park, hoping for a quick fix before tomorrow's storm.

But Tosoc's blower will be added to others waiting to be sent to a suburban shop for repairs. It's just a fraction of the repairs. Rosso's says there have been 1,500 orders for repairs, compared to about 500 last year.

So, new customers will have to wait two to three days for a fix. Only those who came in earlier this week will have it for the weekend.