Stores prepared for snow despite unseasonably warm weather

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- It's the time of year for garland hanging on doorways and spreading holiday cheer. But the only snow in Chestnut Hill is the paper-hanging variety.

"At this point we haven't been selling a lot yet, but we have it ready to go for when the storm comes," said Ken Robert from Killian's Hardware.

At Killian's Hardware, all the cold weather essentials are in. Last year, this shop couldn't keep enough salt on hand for the demand.

Today, bags of salt soaked in the warm afternoon sun.

"When we get a cold snap, we will get everyone coming in all at once and sell a whole bunch of bags," said Robert.

But contractors aren't complaining. This extra gift from Mother Nature means a longer working season for them.

"Figure it should be at least cold by now," said Michael Matotok from Swarthmore. "We're okay with it. We're solar guys so we have to be up on the roof so snow would be a problem for us so we're fine with that."

Over at PennDOT, 120,000 tons of salt is ready to go.

"We're just entering winter so a lot can happen," said John Krafczyk.

For now, workers are using this weather to seal cracks and fill potholes.

And snow plot drivers are already doing dry runs on their routes, getting ready for when the snow finally comes.

"They get familiar with things that they're going to encounter that may not be as visible to them during a winter storm so they know where it's at," said Krafczyk.

This year you can track those trucks in real time and see what roads have been treated online.