SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA CO. (WOLF) —

As rain melts the remnants of the last snowstorm, officials are preparing for what’s next.

“We’ve had drivers out since 6a.m. prepping the roads and getting ready for whatever is coming our way,” said Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti.

This weekend’s weather is unpredictable with weather models predicting N-E-P-A could get as little as half an inch or as much as a foot of snow and in that uncertainty, officials are preparing for the worst.

“If you don’t have to go out, we advise that you stay home,” urged PennDOT maintenance services engineer Kaitlyn Drumheller. “Especially during tomorrow morning’s commute, because we’re kind of seeing snow totals ranging into the commute tomorrow morning. So first advice, if you don’t have to go out, please don’t.”

PennDOT fully stocked for Sunday’s storm and even if snowfall ends up on the larger side, they say dealing with it will be different due to one key reason.

Drumheller continued, “This storm’s a little bit different compared to the one we had late January, just because temperatures are warmer. Last storm, we were already kind of in a very cold situation where salts not as effective when we get into those below 15-degree conditions where this storm’s a little bit warmer, where we’re talking into the 20s, where our salt is more effective.”

In Scranton, the frigid temperatures and lack of staffing during January’s storm left the city struggling to clear the roads. Mayor Cognetti saying this time will be different, and that Scranton’s DPW is in contact with the school district, hospitals, and more to make sure the most important roadways are cleared efficiently.

“We certainly want to be you know, at school, at work this week,” explained Mayor Cognetti. “So, we’ll be working as hard as we can here in the next 24 hours to make sure that we’re getting any snow that does come off the roads as quickly as it’s safe.”

But all this work could be for nothing as snowfall estimates continue to be erratic and unreliable as NEPA braces for an uncertain winter storm.