Florists fret storm will wilt Valentine’s sales

? Snow-clogged streets and closed office buildings are posing twin logistical challenges for Mid-Atlantic florists as Valentine’s Day approaches, and some worry it won’t be a rosy holiday unless sales bloom when the shoveling ends.

Shops are marshaling SUVs and four-wheel-drive vehicles to make deliveries in storm-battered cities like Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, which virtually shut down when a pair of blizzards dumped record-breaking snow.

Though Valentine’s Day always comes in wintry February, the combination of it falling on a long weekend — Monday is Presidents Day — plus massive office closings, unplowed streets and weather-delayed floral shipments has put some florists on edge.

“This is probably the worst, there’s no question about it,” said David Hope, owner of Flower Gallery Inc. in Washington. “We’re jokingly saying we want to suggest they pass a law to change Valentine’s Day to August.”

When Feb. 14 falls on a weekend, florists say, many bouquet senders want the flowers delivered a day or two earlier so the recipient gets them at work. But most businesses have been closed because of the snow.