Pennsylvania, New Jersey residents and officials prepare for snow to accumulate overnight
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Early flurries and frigid temperatures set a surprisingly delightful scene for ice skaters at City Hall Monday evening.
"It's colder than I would like, but it's so pretty when you're ice-skating," one skater said.
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Preparations at PennDOT
At PennDOT'S salt yard in South Philly, trucks loaded up with tons of sodium chloride hit the roadways to cover more than 11,000 miles of highway to cover.
PennDOT spokesperson Krys Johnson said crews headed out well before the weather system moved in.
"They're putting down salt. They are pre-treating the roads in the Philadelphia region to make sure that snow can get off as fast as it can," Johnson said.
On city sidewalks, snow lightly accumulated between crevices and left frosty blankets on the pavement, soon to be salted and swept away by the Streets Department.
"We'll just salt the bridges, and then main arterial streets, and in the hills and higher elevations, and that'll be enough to keep the city open," Streets Department Chief Highway Engineer Steve Lorenz said.
With the winter storm-like weather over the past couple of weeks, some of the roads in our area still have residual treatment on them, which is helpful.
Still, PennDOT and the Streets Department are fully staffed through the duration of this storm. The fluffier the snow, the easier it is to clear it from the roadways, officials said.
New Jersey residents prepare for winter weather
People across the region headed out after work Monday night to grab a few essentials ahead of the storm.
As the first flakes started falling, Joe Pawlenko and his family were stocking up inside the Ace hardware store in Sewell.
"We've had some mild winters," Pawlenko said. "We're hoping we can take Noah out sledding soon and have some good snow days ahead us."
Cindy Pino, of Turnersville, said some snow would be "wonderful."
"I came out to get some fire logs because my fireplace is going to keep me warm in this snowstorm," Pino said.
For store manager John Michael, the winter weather is a welcome boost for business.
"We've been keeping busy filing the shelves with shovels and rock salt," he said.
Snow translates to sales, he said.
"It's in the media and it's on the news, we'll sell," he said.
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Meanwhile, some shoppers at the Acme on Greentree Road realized they were not quite ready for what may be coming.
"It's been a long time so I think you kind of forget," Lauren Sisco, of Washington Township, said. "I just walked past the salt [and thought], 'Oh yeah, I doubt we have salt because it's been so long.'"
Others, like Nancy Doyle, of Turnersville, are already dreaming of sunnier days ahead.
"I'm ready to see it go and summer to be here," Doyle said.
At the public works complex in nearby Lindenwold, more than 100 pieces of equipment are gassed up and ready to go to help keep more than 1,200 lane miles passable here in Camden County.