News & Events

For the globe, it's been a rather mild winter all things considered. January 2018, for example, was the fifth warmest January in recorded history, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

But don't tell that to the millions of Americans who have accessed outdoor and drive-thru ATMs over the past few months. For them, bone-chilling cold, whipping winds and snowy conditions have been what may seem like a near constant presence, making bank runs a bit quicker than normal as individuals retrieve their money as quickly as possible to remove themselves from the bitter elements.

The frigid conditions haven't been easy on the public nor the ATMs that they so frequently use before making purchases.

New year brings 'bomb cyclone' 

Winter's frigid blast was perhaps best evidenced just as 2018 arrived. Throughout the Northeast and the Atlantic regions, meteorologists warned of a so-called "bomb cyclone," a hulking weather system whose unusually low atmospheric pressure made a brief walk outside downright painful without the proper attire. Single-digit temperatures were the norm day after day, which combined with the wind chill made the "real feel" well below zero. The Midwest was the first to get a taste of the bomb cyclone, including Chicago, giving new meaning to its "Windy City" nickname. 

Temperatures haven't been the only things falling this winter - so has snow, and in copious amounts in various parts of the U.S. Snowfall totals can vary substantially even in between towns, but the interior portions of the country has seen plenty of the white stuff, creating travel nightmares and maintenance headaches for businesses whose products and services are outside. For instance in Erie, Pennsylvania, Mother Nature has dumped over 155 inches of snow this season thus far, more than any other city, according to the most recent statistics available from the Golden Snow Globe. That's more than two times the amount of snow the town of nearly 101,800 people experienced through Feb. 20 of 2017 (67.8 inches).

Upstate New York has also had above-normal snow cover, totaling around 107 inches in Syracuse and 86 inches in Rochester. That's up from 103 inches and 71 inches, respectively, last winter.

Chicago has witnessed some of its own snow woes, particularly in the month of February. Indeed, as of Feb. 13, O'Hare Airport measured 28.3 inches of snow since Jan. 1, according to Accuweather.com. That's well above the 24.8 inches year-to-date average, creating flight delays on occasion. O'Hare didn't record any snow whatsoever in February 2017.

3 million ATMs worldwide

The cold snap has put a toll on really any standing structure that's exposed to harsh winds and precipitation, be it snow, rain, sleet or ice. This includes ATMs, which cash users rely on for weekly or emergency funds. Even though mobile payments are more common today than they've ever been before, cash remains king, with 87 percent of consumers buying with paper currency on a regular basis, according to Blackhawk Network. The ubiquity of ATMs - 3 million installed globally in 2014, according to the most recent statistics available from the ATM Industry Association - keeps cash readily accessible for people with checking or savings accounts.

Like anything else that gets used consistently, ATMs experience wear and tear, which can be exacerbated during the weather extremes that winter is known for.

Cummins Allison has a wide assortment of ATMs for banks and business operators to consider as a replacement for their current ATM. What's the typical lifespan of an ATM? Technological advancements have made today's ATMs more resistant to overuse, but generally speaking, they have a lifecycle of around 10 years. That could be more or less, depending on maintenance schedules, usage and where ATMs are installed.