Lehigh Valley ready for snow, wintry mix in mid-March storm

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (CBS) -- A mid-March storm is bringing snow and a wintry mix to the Poconos and some parts of the Lehigh Valley.

CBS News Philadelphia has been talking with neighbors in the area all day about the mild winter, and while some are happy to see it, others are missing the snow.

It's a busy Friday at Albright's Hardware and Garden Center in Allentown.

Despite a pending mid-March winter storm, spring is on everyone's minds.

"It's kind of the winter that wasn't," Kenneth Yons said.

Winter isn't over until March 20, but the snowblowers are already back in the warehouse and lawnmowers are on the floor.

Many customers Friday came in for some spring essentials.

"My tomato plants are up a couple of inches already," Dale Brace said.

Despite prepping for spring, Brace says he misses the snow.

"Just it makes it more wintery rather than the rain that we had and the freezing ice," Brace said.

Others CBS News Philadelphia spoke with in the Lehigh Valley are happy they've seen, so far, a mild winter.

"Driving in the snow, shoveling in the snow is not what I look forward to," Paul Gross said, "so I could have mild winters from here on out."

"This year has been quite a blessing a little change from what we get in the past, however, I think somethings forthcoming," Trina Middleton-White said. "We're toward the end of winter, but I think we're going to get hit with a little something, something."

Albright's president, Kenneth Ringer, says the last few mild winters were tough on business. So, he's springing ahead -- quite literally -- to make up for lost time.

"We're getting the spring merchandise in," Ringer said. "As fast as it comes in, we're getting it out."

PennDOT says they've been anti-icing throughout the day and are operating a full call out of more than 200 trucks throughout the Lehigh Valley.

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• Pennsylvania
• NEXT Weather
• Allentown Pa.
• Lehigh County