Let it snow. Barrington is ready.

Public works employees at the Upland Road facility seemed in almost a festive mood Thursday even as Winter Storm Nemo was forecast to dump up to two feet of wet snow on the town.

Well, maybe festive is too strong a word. But they definitely seemed ready to do battle with Mother Nature. 

Workers were wrapping up preparations for Nemo and contemplating their last good night’s sleep for a couple of days. They went home Thursday night knowing that the next 36 to 48 hours could mean non-stop plowing starting when around 3 inches of snow is on the roads. 

Plows were already mounted on trucks. Blades were bolted to the plows. Fluid levels were checked on the engines and transmissions. Wiper blades were double-checked. Tires were inflated. Sanders were being calibrated for just the right amount of salt and sand mix to be dumped on the streets. Windows were being cleaned. Trucks were being filled with gasoline.

Workers also were stockpiling coffee and water for overnight Friday into Saturday morning. It is important too keep hydrated, said one of the plow drivers. It helps to keep them awake.

Drivers also made a public plea for people to remove their cars from roadways. It is so much easier to plow when they don’t have to worry about cars, more than one driver said.

They also asked for people to stay off the roads when walking or jogging. Or wear very bright clothing if they do go out on the roads. Sometimes it can be very difficult to see clearly when plowing. One driver said he came within a few feet of hitting a jogger wearing dark color clothing during a storm a couple of years ago. 

For some reason, many of the drivers agreed, people seem to like to come out in the snow, which means they are often on the roads and not the sidewalks until they are cleared.