ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Americans plan to put the severe winter weather in their rearview mirrors and travel more frequently this summer, according to the results of a consumer survey released by NACS.

One in four consumers (25%) say that they will spend more money this summer than they would otherwise because of the harsh winter weather, as opposed to 16% who say that they will spend less money. One in three (33%) consumers in the Midwest say they’re likely to spend more this summer, more than any other region of the country.

Convenience store owners also are optimistic about summer spending, with most saying that they expect sales to increase at both the pump and inside the store. “We expect to see sales up at least 8% to 10% over last summer’s numbers, and we will be back to pre-recession sales numbers before the end of 2014,” said Theron Soderlund, president of TMS Enterprises, which operates the Country Corner convenience store on Orcas Island, Washington.

Convenience stores sell 80% of the gas purchased in the country and will see plenty of traffic at the gas pumps this summer, especially when the weather is nice. Store owners surveyed by NACS said that weather conditions are the best determinant of sales, with two of three calling it important. The economy was the second-most important factor affecting sales, cited by nearly half of all retailers.

“Consumers are feeling a little bit better,” said Leo Vercollone, president of Verc Enterprises in Duxbury, MA, and one of the many retailers who indicated that they very optimistic about the industry’s economic prospects this summer. “After all, we held our own this winter, when the weather couldn’t have been worse.”