Santa's Gravy Train Jumped the Tracks

As you know, I am very troubled at how companies blame all manner of weather swings (too hot, too cold, too moderate) for business shortfalls, and these often contradictory claims -- or blames -- are passed right along by the business media as fact instead of farce. (Especially in the retail field, though Six Flags (SIX Quote) may have set a low-water mark.)

Well, folks, I found a company that had every right to blame the weather, when by the light of my Yule log, I was read a Rohm & Hass (ROH Quote) press release. It lowered fourth-quarter earnings estimates by 7 cents, blaming the warm weather for a decline in salt sales and profits.

Check out what, in my predawn haze this morning, I believe to be the only other publicly traded salt outfit, Compass Minerals (CMP Quote). Trouble there, too, no thanks to the warm winter. Their product, salt, is used in de-icer. To say that the warm weather has an impact is legitimate.