Shoppers stock up on essentials ahead of holiday weekend storm

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - Anticipating heavy snowfall and gusty winds, shoppers are flocking to stores for groceries and winter essentials.

“The snow is coming, and I just want to make sure we’re prepared,” Pat Kranz said, while shopping at Miller and Son’s Supermarket in Verona.

“I’m shopping for all the things that I could possibly think I may need before the weather turns a little bit nasty.” Mary Trageser said. “I thought, ‘Well, I could wait until Wednesday.’ I said, ‘No. I’ve got to come today.’”

Drew Potter, a Miller and Son’s employee, said he bagged groceries about 50 times before noon. “We got through it yesterday, and we’ll get through it today,” he said.

Meanwhile, at Ace Hilldale, Store Director Jim Hewitt expected customers to buy a couple hundred shovels Tuesday alone.

“They come in frantic, and they stop right at the shovels at our front door first. Then they grab salt on their way through the store,” he said. “It’s very, very patterned as of what they’re looking for. They’re prepping for the storm.”

Nadine Espeseth, who came looking for salt and sand, said she manages multiple properties around Madison.

“Overwhelmed,” she said. “We’ll have to shovel the porches, the stairways, the sidewalks, the driveway skirts, which are the least fun parts because of the snow plows. That’s the hardest part.”

NBC15 meteorologists have issued a First Alert Day for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday for a combination of heavy snow, gusty winds, and dangerously cold temperatures.

For the latest storm forecast and updates, click here to download the NBC15 News app or our NBC15 First Alert weather app.

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