LENOIR, N.C. — North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) crews in Caldwell County are checking and calibrating their equipment as the mountain counties could see the first snow of the season over the weekend.
David Uchiyama said equipment checks are important as some of the gear has been idle over the past few months.
"They're checking the trucks, the spreaders as well as some of the calibrations to make sure the right amount of salt and the right amount of brine goes out when the first snow does start falling," Uchiyama said.
He added both DOT crews and contractors will start re-familiarizing themselves with their assigned routes.
"It gives them an idea of where some potential hazards may be that are covered by the snow," Uchiyama said. "It also just gives a mental picture of what the road should look like."
As other parts of the foothills are expected to get cold temperatures, Conover Hardware's Rick Auton said some people are already grabbing items, particularly outdoor faucet covers.
"If we do get into very cold, freezing temperatures, we get a lot of folks in after the fact and need to repair plumbing," Auton said.
He said once the weather gets consistently cold, the store will start shipping in more supplies like heat tapes, sleds and snow shovels.
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