DPW departments across the Hudson Valley are preparing for a nasty coastal storm that is expected to cause dangerous driving conditions over the next two days.
Many departments are already have trucks pre-treating roads for the expected the snow, sleet, and rain that is expected to arrive later today.
Areas north and west of I-287 are expected to get heavier slushy snow/sleet accumulations. The biggest snow total will likely be in the Poconos and Catskills.
Gusty winds will also make driving treacherous through Friday.
In the Haverstraw DPW garage, they actually started winter preparations back in October. Officials say it is hard to find any parts these days and that replacement parts need to be shipped in quite often. Today, everything got one final look over before the storm. "We'll check the hoses, the belts, the plows, the blades, wipers especially, heaters," says Superintendent of Public Works Kenneth Dosch.
The Haverstraw crews have about 37 miles of roads to cover, and they'll basically work around the clock to keep the streets clear.
They say the No. 1 rule for anyone on the roads is slow down. Plan on taking an extra few minutes to get wherever you are going.
They also ask that any drivers on the road be mindful of the crews and give them plenty of room to work.