Road crews and residents prepare for snow and ice

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Whether it was PennDOT in Norristown or crews in Philadelphia, salt was being dumped into trucks and deployed Friday.

The area is bracing for a wintry mix that could get nasty this weekend.

The report is freezing rain overnight, and the roads could get dangerous.

"Our crews will be working through the night into tomorrow morning keeping roadways passable, but we urge motorists to use extreme care if they must drive in these conditions," said John Krafczyk, PennDOT.

The work began early.

Chopper 6 HD recorded images of PennDOT crews dumping salt on Route 1 in Langhorne before noon Friday.

At the 6th Highway Yard in Northeast Philadelphia, trucks loaded up on salt around 11 am.

At the Lowes in Plymouth Meeting, salt and shovels were on shoppers' lists.

That includes Dan Veber of Whitpain Township.

He tells us he's hopeful the storm won't hit, but better safe than sorry.

If the freezing rain does come and roads get bad, motorists are being asked not to drive tonight if you don't have to.

But if you do, keep in mind these tips:

"Just give yourself plenty of space between you and the vehicle in front of you. If you see a salt truck, stay out of the way and give them the room to work. If you don't have to go out, stay home until the freezing rain stops," said Steve Lorenz, Chief Highway Engineer for Street Adept.