Plows At The Ready In Westchester County Ahead Of Snowstorm
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- People were scrambling for goods and crews were readying plows during the calm before the snowstorm in Westchester County Wednesday.
As CBS2's Lou Young reported, 60 plows were ready to roll in White Plains late Wednesday afternoon. A fleet of brine trucks were also at the ready, and a mountain of salt was waiting under a dome – plentiful given the winter that has been mild so far.
The White Plains Department of Public Works yard was glistening with a bright, springlike light on Wednesday. It was almost enough to trick one into complacency.
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"It's hard to believe it, but it is what it is," said White Plains DPW worker Carlos Megia. "Tomorrow, we're going to get it. Finally -- the first one."
It certainly will be the first big snowstorm of the season, and even with plenty of lead time to prepare, it is expected to hit fast and hard.
"We'll pre-treat a little bit in anticipation of the heavy snow," said White Plains Public Workers Commissioner Dick Hope. "The problem is going to be the snow's going to come down, as predicted, 2 inches an hour. It's impossible to keep up with that."
As WCBS 880's Peter Haskell reported, Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino said they have all the supplies they need.
"Our bins are full of sand and salt and everything else that we need to put on the roads," Astorino said.
Westchester County Superintendent of Road Maintenance Jim Statini said crews have already put down a brine solution.
"It allows us an opportunity where we will get some residual melting prior to us actually starting to apply salt after that," Statini said.
So for everyone choosing not to drive on Thursday morning, supplies are in order.
"I'm hoping that this will be, if we have it, it's one and done then we can get on to the spring," said Jackie Ecker of Hartsdale, who was buying the ingredients to make "comfort food."
"I got bread, milk, eggs -- stuff for my baby too," said Sherrette Stanley of Yonkers.
"Tea, cookies, popcorn -- let's see what happens tomorrow," said Rosalva Schneider of Dobbs Ferry.
"All kinds of stuff to keep the kids happy," added Alexis Leviton of Ardsley, who did not seem thrilled that the kids in question would be home from school.
Hardware stores said shovel sales peaked days ago, but melting aids were heavily in demand.
"A lot of rock salt and a lot of calcium chloride" have been selling "all of a sudden," said store manager Jim Dixon.
"I got my salt, got my shovels; I've got a friend that's got a plow that's going to come to my house," added a man shopping at the store. "I have to get in touch with him."
A winter storm warning is in effect from midnight until 6 p.m. Thursday for New York City, Nassau County, southern Connecticut, the lower Hudson Valley and northeastern New Jersey.
For Suffolk County, a blizzard warning has been issued.
Stay with CBSNewYork.com for all the latest weather updates.
