STONEHAM, MASS. (WHDH) - The rush is on to stock up ahead of Saturday’s winter wallop.
Bay Staters scrambled to fill their shopping carts at grocery and hardware stores across the state on Friday ahead of a nor’easter that is expected to dump two feet or more of snow in some areas.
With just several hours before the storm is expected to start, the grocery store, hardware store and gas station blitz is on so everyone can hunker down when things get messy.
In Stoneham, ice melt, shovels, roof rakes, gloves, and shovels flew off the shelves at Round’s Hardware as residents braced for this weekend’s winter wallop.
“Wow. I’m only five feet tall so two feet is a lot of snow” said Stoneham resident Maria Barcelos.
“I’m just getting another shovel, because I’m sure my old one is going to break,” said resident Brian Doody.
With snow totals mounting higher and higher, plumbing and heating companies in Stoneham and throughout the Bay State are preparing their fleets.
Total snow accumulations of 18 to 24 inches are possible in Boston, the MetroWest, the Merrimack Valley, the North Shore, the South Shore, the South Coast, and on parts of Cape Cod. Some areas could see isolated pockets of 30 inches of snow.
“For us, it’s been crazy. The weather has really dictated our work lately, it’s really been intense,” said Timothy Rager of Presidential Plumbing.
Rager advised people to turn their thermostats up a degree or two to keep the house hot and warm.
Barry Kady, of 128 Plumbing, Heating, Cooling and Electric urged Bay Staters to shovel out the outside vents for their heating and water systems.
“Those vents have to stay clear during a storm. Don’t let it build up. Get out there and check it once in a while,” said Kady.
The winter storm is expected to intensify as it moves up the East Coast late Friday night.
Flakes will start flying in the Bay State just after midnight Saturday with steady snow and wind ramping up through the morning into midday. It will remain in place through Saturday evening when snowfall will become patchy.
Visit the 7Weather page for the latest storm updates.
(Copyright (c) 2022 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)