The recent snow, ice and record cold temperatures have been a boon for some local businesses and bust for others.

Ray Thomas, owner of Thomas Plumbing in Gloucester, said he received 48 calls for plumbing repairs on Saturday alone—a day when he might normally receive one. Of course, Thomas had to turn down some of those jobs, but scheduled as many as he could to fix broken water lines and well pumps.

But Fox Auto Repair at Ordinary saw less business than usual during the recent cold snap, owner Tab Fox said Tuesday. “They got smart and stayed home,” Fox said of residents being cautious because of icy roads and frigid weather.

S&B Mufflers and Brakes at Hayes was closed last Tuesday to allow staff to shovel snow so customers could reach their building, said Bonnie Bailey, who owns the business with her husband, Steve, but it reopened for business last Wednesday.

Belroi Marketplace at Belroi sold lots of kerosene, gasoline and bottled water—the latter to h...