As Western Pennsylvania prepares for snow this weekend, Eastwood Hardware in Penn Hills is gearing up for a potential surge in business.Customers began filing in Thursday morning, shortly after the store opened at 8 a.m.”It’s been pretty steady. Not real, real busy, but it’s been steady,” said Eastwood Hardware cashier Cheryl Partozoti. When asked if she thought it might get busier, she added with a smile, “It’s a possibility.”Customers like Monique Walker were quick to act as a winter storm watch was issued for the commonwealth. “My driveway was already a sheet of ice this morning,” said Walker. She explained, “I said, ‘Let me hurry up and go get something.’ Because of the weather that’s coming, I know it’s about to get bad for us, or at least that’s what I’m hearing and I would like to be prepared.”Store employees spent the morning taking inventory of popular storm supplies, including shovels, scrapers and ice. Employees say they are still awaiting a shipment of rock salt, but they have plenty of calcium chloride in stock. Both options will get the job done, but one is better than the other when it comes to temperatures and the health of your pavement. “It’s in the temperature difference in which it melts the snow,” explained employee Steve Yusko.He added, “Rock salt normally is around 20 degrees and calcium chloride is usually around minus 25 degrees.”

PENN HILLS TOWNSHIP, Pa. —

As Western Pennsylvania prepares for snow this weekend, Eastwood Hardware in Penn Hills is gearing up for a potential surge in business.

Customers began filing in Thursday morning, shortly after the store opened at 8 a.m.

“It’s been pretty steady. Not real, real busy, but it’s been steady,” said Eastwood Hardware cashier Cheryl Partozoti.

When asked if she thought it might get busier, she added with a smile, “It’s a possibility.”

Customers like Monique Walker were quick to act as a winter storm watch was issued for the commonwealth.

“My driveway was already a sheet of ice this morning,” said Walker.

She explained, “I said, ‘Let me hurry up and go get something.’ Because of the weather that’s coming, I know it’s about to get bad for us, or at least that’s what I’m hearing and I would like to be prepared.”

Store employees spent the morning taking inventory of popular storm supplies, including shovels, scrapers and ice.

Employees say they are still awaiting a shipment of rock salt, but they have plenty of calcium chloride in stock. Both options will get the job done, but one is better than the other when it comes to temperatures and the health of your pavement.

“It’s in the temperature difference in which it melts the snow,” explained employee Steve Yusko.

He added, “Rock salt normally is around 20 degrees and calcium chloride is usually around minus 25 degrees.”