PennDOT, residents preparing for wintry weather this weekend

TIOGA (WTXF) - The snow plows were out in force earlier this week around Allentown, salting the roads in preparation for what was to come.

And now, PennDOT says 336 plows are loaded with salt and set to go across the Philadelphia five county region in just hours.

"It's not a huge storm, but it does present some challenges because we're expecting it to switch over and change to freezing rain and sleet."

122,000 pounds of salt are stockpiled and ready to go. That's about twice as much as PennDOT uses in an average winter, though four of the last seven winters have been well above average.

For the first time this year, you can go online to 511PA.com to see in real time where every snow plow is -- up to the minute.

"They can kinda see a truck. So if they're getting ready to leave, and they can go on and see a truck five miles up the road, maybe they're gonna wait five minutes for that truck to go by and then go."

Meanwhile, Philadelphia roads were not pretreated, because of the cold, and concerns that the mixture would just freeze.

But the city is also stocked with 50,000 tons of salt, and trucks are expected to hit the road after midnight.

"This is gonna be strictly a salting event. There's not gonna be enough snow on the ground to plow, so you'll just see the trucks out there with salt."

For most of us, this may just be a small nuisance snowfall that will turn to rain. But part of that nuisance includes making a last-minute run to the store for shovels and salt.

"We got some ice melt instead of the rock salt so it doesn't tear up our pavement," Anthony Anderson, from Norristown, said.

Steve Walsh doesn't mind the preparation -- this time.

"The first one is always the nice one." And then after that? "Then, it goes downhill."

But some have visions of wintertime fun.

"Cause I want to jump in the snow."

Not likely, with temps approaching 60 on Sunday, which is A-ok, if your business is this.

"I'd rather have that then having freezing temperatures throughout the whole weekend."