Arlington Hardware Store Helps Residents Prepare For Winter Storm

ARLINGTON, VA — On Thursday, Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger declared a state of emergency, ahead of this weekend's winter storm. The latest forecast predicts 10 inches of snow falling on the Washington, D.C. region, bringing cold temperatures with it.

In anticipation, Arlington residents began flocking to area hardware stores to stock up with essentials.

"It's been very busy with people looking for shovels and salt and sleds," said J.J. Pruiksma, manager at Cherrydate Hardware in Arlington. "I've got more stock coming in on Wednesday next week, but for the moment, right now, we are all sold out."

Related: State Of Emergency Declared In VA, 10+ Inches Of Snow Expected

The item that's in big demand is Ice Melt, which is not something that is usually bought in bulk, according to Pruiksma.

"There's a bigger demand earlier in the year than there usually is, and it seems like the warehouse supply chain can't catch up," he said.

Workining at Cherrydale Hardware for 20 years, Pruiksma has seen the impact big winter storms have had on his business.

"We'll be busy for the next three or four days in a row, and then it'll be a ghost town after the snow has fallen," he said. "There's there's definitely a trade off."