Preparations were underway across Massachusetts Thursday ahead of a storm that is expected to bring the region’s first significant snowfall of the season.
The storm is expected to arrive late Saturday night and linger through much of the day Sunday, dropping up to 12 inches of snow in some spots.
Keeping an eye on the forecasts, members of the public and public officials alike have been busy.
“We’re going through everything, making sure all the fluids are ready,” said Stoneham DPW Director Brett Gonsalves.
“We’ll go through all the equipment and make sure everything is running properly,” he continued. “We’ll test everything again like we’ve done…and have everything loaded for when we get the call to go in.”
In Medford, 7NEWS found one work crew on Thursday afternoon racing to wrap up solar panel installation projects before the winter weather arrives.
“We’re going to try to get it all done before the snow comes in to make sure nothing is going to leak, nothing is going to fall off the roof, ” one worker said.
Back in Stoneham, at Tire King Services, drivers were scrambling to get snow tires before the first flakes fall.
For Bruce Round of Round’s Hardware, also in Stoneham, Thursday was all about stocking the shelves with storm supplies, including snow brushes and shovels as well as sand and salt.
“It’s all electronic up here in the brain for a hardware guy,” Round said. “As soon as you hear snow is coming, then you make sure that all your stock is there, everything is ready to go.”
Plow drivers ready to hit the road as storm approaches
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is scheduled to join city public works staff on Friday to publicly discuss local preparations for Sunday’s storm.
At the state level, the Department of Conservation and Recreation this week assured Massachusetts residents its crews are ready and armed with new eco-friendly road salt to help cut down on harmful runoff during storm responses.
The state Department of Transportation is similarly ready to roll as it gets set to utilize newly-named plows bearing names from students across the state including Snow B Wan Kenobi, Sleetwood Mac and Edward Blizzardhands.
Though it has its plows, MassDOT is also still looking for drivers who can earn $90 an hour if they use their own trucks to help clear roads.
Outside state and local governments, services including the app Plowz and Mowz will be there to help Massachusetts residents clear snow from their properties.
Plowz and Mowz Co-Founder Wills Mahoney spoke to 7NEWS on Thursday about the app. He said the team has more than 100 partners around the state, allowing users request a plow to their house with the touch of a button.
“We’ve been through a lot of snow, so this isn’t our first rodeo,” Mahoney said. “But we definitely plan before a snowstorm.”
“We engage with all the landscapers,” he continued. “…We’re ready to go when the first snowflake falls.”
Eversource ‘closely monitoring’ forecasts
The storm this weekend is expected to hit the region a matter of weeks after wind and rain lashed New England in mid-December.
Thousands of energy customers across the state lost power in outages beginning on Dec. 18 that continued for days in some spots. With downed trees and damaged infrastructure, utility companies ultimately called in crews from outside the region to support restoration efforts.
Though this next storm is not forecast to cause the same level of power disruption, officials have warned snow and some wind could strain trees and wires.
“As with any storm, we’re closely monitoring several forecasts and making preparations as necessary to respond to any potential power outages,” an Eversource spokesperson said, in part. “Heavy, wet snow along with strong winds can bring down trees and tree limbs, causing damage to the electric system.”
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