The latest on preparations in the Philadelphia region ahead of winter storm
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Officials across the region are encouraging people to avoid unnecessary travel Saturday and Sunday if possible. Amtrak trains are on a modified schedule and New Jersey has implemented travel restrictions as the region deals with a winter storm moving in Saturday.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy will be speaking at noon about winter storm preparations at 12 p.m. We'll stream his remarks live here at the top of this article.
New Jersey is restricting travel for tractor-trailers, motorcycles, recreational vehicles, empty CDL-weighted trucks, passenger vehicles pulling trailers, and motorcycles on interstates including I-78, I-80, I-280, I-287 and NJ Route 440.
These restrictions are not in place for the New Jersey Turnpike, Garden State Parkway, or Atlantic City Expressway.
The restriction is for all tractor-trailers and trailers except those exempt (those include law enforcement, health care, utility and snow vehicles).
"Trucks that are already in New Jersey when the travel restrictions go into place are encouraged to pull off in truck stops to wait out the storm – DO NOT PARK ON SHOULDERS," the New Jersey Department of Transporation said in a news release.
Many people stocked up on food and supplies as winter weather headed our way. Meanwhile, PennDOT crews are hard at work and urging drivers to use caution while they pre-treat the roads.
People CBS Philadelphia talked to said they are trying to get all of their errands in now so they are fully ready.
Others are out trying to have a little fun before the messy weather rolls in.
Ice skaters enjoyed the clear skies while it lasted at Dilworth Park Friday. Rain and in some cases, snow will roll into the region on Saturday.
Others are making sure they are stocked up with winter essentials like firewood, shovels, and salt.
"I have no salt. I have a shovel but no salt and you want to be prepared," Linda Maccariella said. "I used all my stuff up from last winter so I had to buy some."
PennDOT said they pretreated area highways Friday night to get ahead of the wintry mix that will blanket the roadways. It's that time of year when we need to get our homes ready for the changing conditions.
PennDOT is also prepared to monitor conditions at its new regional traffic management center.
Operators have some 500 cameras across the area. During inclement weather, operators use cameras to monitor conditions, accidents and more. They also have access to more than 200 message boards.
Greg Dobkin is preparing for another busy weekend.
"We got inundated with all that weather over the course of the last couple of weeks and our phones have been ringing off the hook," he said.
Dobkin is the managing partner at American Construction in Cherry Hill.
He said his team's main job lately has been repairing leaky roofs and with more rain expected in South Jersey on Saturday and next week, he's encouraging homeowners to be proactive.
"Water was dripping out of a light in the ceiling," Jeff Nilsson said.
Nilsson has owned his home for three years but he moved full-time from Florida about six months ago. A few weeks back, he said water started leaking into his living room.
Nilsson then turned to American Construction.
Dobkin said routine maintenance can oftentimes help you avoid a costly repair.
"Having the roof inspected, sweeping debris off the roof, making sure the gutters are cleaned I think pretty often clogged gutters can create significant issues with roofing," he said.
Another tip: roofers said if you can go into your attic and take a look around. If you see a water mark, that likely means you have a leak.
Dobkin said identifying the problem early can help prevent further damage and in the end, save you some money.
"Start planning as soon as you start to see issues because we find with our clients the ones that are proactive and really get ahead of it and take care of issues before they turn into major problems, the whole experience is easier for them," he said.
