It's only a matter of time before crews will be busy at the dune at the Massachusetts State Police station in Weston, filling up trucks that will be transporting salt to various cities and towns, and even some of the state's other stockpiles.
It's part of the many preparations that are being made Friday to brace for the storm system this weekend, which is expected to bring a sizable amount of snow.
“Although we don’t anticipate a record-breaking snowfall, our administration has been taking early steps to ensure we are prepared to keep the people of Massachusetts safe – and we encourage everyone to do the same,” Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement. “Recognizing that we’re no strangers to snowy winters, I'm asking Massachusetts residents to take steps to protect yourselves and your loved ones by making sure your homes stay safely heated and traveling on roads with extra care. Please also take some time to check in on your neighbors to make sure everyone stays warm and safe.”
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More than 1,000 plows and pieces of ice equipment are being deployed on roads across the state, according to Massachusetts Department of Transportation officials. But still, it may to take them a while to clean up afterward.
NBC10 Boston spoke with a few neighbors in Worcester Thursday — one of the places expected to see the brunt of the storm — and although no one is quite excited, they too are getting ready.
"Shovels are all ready, sand is all ready and just hang in there and go with the flow, I guess. Get by this one and hopefully have a safe winter," said Jeff Bain.
'Take it slow'
Massachusetts Department of Transportation officials said while early indications have many parts of the state receiving multiple inches, they’re preparing for anything.
"If it's on the bigger side, we'll see something like a full call out, which is about 2,800 to 3,000 pieces of equipment. And if it's something small, it will downsize accordingly," said Jonathan Gulliver, of MassDOT.
And they are asking for patience.
"We're really asking drivers who are going to be out during the snow to avoid doing it if you can, but if you do have to be out, really take it slow," Gulliver said. "It's not like this is a new thing for us. We're used to handling big storms. And really, again, we're ready to go."
Flight delays, power outages possible
Boston Logan International Airport and Worcester Regional Airport could see possible delays due to the storm, and passengers planning to fly over the weekend are urged to check with their airline for updates and to leave themselves extra time to get to and from the airports
Power outages are also possible as a result of strong winds expected as part of this weekend's storm.
The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency released tips ahead of this weekend, which advised people to have emergency supplies, to manually check their detectors and to verify they have enough fuel for their vehicle and home.
“MEMA is actively monitoring the forecast and coordinating with our partners at the National Weather Service,” said MEMA Director Dawn Brantley said. “We are prepared to facilitate any requests for assistance that may arise from communities impacted by this winter storm.”
In Boston, city officials said they will be treating the roads before and after the snow comes down, making sure they're safe for drivers.
"We are hoping that the projections stay where they have been trending, which is that the weather really will begin tomorrow evening into Sunday," Mayor Michelle Wu said. "And hopefully, let up in time for it to be taken care of before Monday commutes."
The streets in Boston will not be closed and the "typical" parking rules will remain in effect, city officials said.
Wu asked residents to call 911 if they see anyone who's in need of warmth and shelter.
"In the middle of a storm, that becomes a public health emergency," she said.
In New Hampshire, officials with the Department of Safety's Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management are urging residents and visitors to be prepared.
“As this storm moves closer, take simple steps to keep you and your family safe,” HSEM Director Robert Buxton said. “Stay informed of changing conditions by listening to local weather reports and review your family emergency plan.”
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont says it’s been about two years since a major storm has hit the state.
“I think this storm’s been a long time coming,” Lamont said. “It’s been over two years since we’ve had a storm of this magnitude, 6 to 12 inches. We’ve got a lot of salt piled up here; it’s been piling up for a while (and) some shiny new snow plows.”
State Transportation Commission Garrett Eucalitto said his department will have about 900 drivers on duty, including 630 snow plows. There will also be about 200 contractors working on the state highways. But he said that is fewer than in the past.
“We have about 115 vacancies right now in our driver pool,” he said. “So our employees will come in tomorrow evening and they are not going to go home until the storm is concluded.”
He said the state is also short about a quarter of the contractors it normally uses, because of difficulties they have had filling jobs.
Parts of central Maine were hit hard by a December storm that brought flooding and cut power to more than 400,000 customers in a state of less than 1.4 million people. Only a few hundred customers were without power on Friday, but authorities in the state cautioned residents to prepare for the weekend storm.
Authorities in Maine cautioned that another storm could closely follow the weekend snow. That storm is expected to arrive Tuesday into Wednesday and could bring snow, rain and bad road conditions, officials said.
“We urge Maine people to continue to follow forecasts and to prepare themselves in advance,” said Maine Emergency Management Agency Director Pete Rogers.
You'll be able to track the storm with our interactive radar on the NBC10 Boston app all weekend.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
