Crews, Residents Prepare For 2nd Round Of Snow As First Winter Blast Wraps Up

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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- With one of two storms now come and gone, the focus shifts to the next, stronger storm this weekend and residents are getting ready.

Many shoppers at Home Depot in King of Prussia are prepping before the storm.

"We're just worried about the ice so you know I can walk on snow. I can't walk on ice," said Joe Reifsnyder.

"Extremely busy since yesterday. Very busy today as well. As far as weather-related items. We've sold through already a whole truck of calcium chloride and salt," said January Introcaso manager at Home Depot.

And over at Wegmans, long lines as shoppers cleared the shelves.

The hot items: milk and bread.

"It's really an annoying coincidence actually. I always seem to need milk and bread coincidently when there is snow coming, we just tend to run out around that time so annoyingly there's always low supply of milk and bread when we need it," said one shopper.

Unlike the first snowstorm that hit overnight, the predicted weather pattern on Saturday has prompted Pennsylvania and New Jersey's governors to declare a state of emergency.

"The latest forecasts continue to indicate that New Jersey will receive significant snow this weekend," said Governor Murphy. "We are closely monitoring the approaching snow storm and are prepared to keep New Jerseyans safe. Residents are urged to stay off the roads to the extent possible and always use their best judgment when traveling."

"We want to be aggressive in managing this storm, during which snowfall rates could exceed one to two inches per hour," Governor Wolf said. "Our top concern is the safety of residents. If you do not have to travel during the storm, please avoid it. Please heed warnings from emergency responders and personnel, and remember to check on your neighbors, especially the elderly."

There will be speed restrictions and a ban on all commercial traffic on most interstates and the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Snow is expected to quickly change to ice making the conditions challenging for PennDOT crews.

"This storm has so much ice with it that that's our biggest concern. Freezing rain is probably one of the hardest conditions we ever have to deal with. I'd rather have six inches of snow over freezing rain any day because freezing rain, as it comes down it dilutes the salt and we gotta be constantly spreading it and if you have cold temperatures, it can sometimes refreshes before we get back to those areas," said John Krafczyk, PennDOT's assistant district executive for maintenance.

Crews are expected to spread their highest application rate of about five hundred pounds of salt per mile.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has access to 350 trucks.

From inside, PennDOT workers can monitor the roads from their 400 cameras. They will activate electronic signs for drivers about current road conditions and accidents, prompting lane closures.

PECO has crews on standby to restore power in the event you lose power.

"We're making sure that we have the people in place to respond to any type of issues that may occur," said PECO Spokesperson Greg Smore.

Should you lose power, there are a number of ways to stay warm.

Aston Fire Department Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator Sean Joyce wants you to keep this in mind.

"If they are using a gas generator, we tell people to keep that generator far away from the house to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. If you're using an extension cord make sure it's been inspected and is safe. Never ever use an oven to keep warm," said Joyce.