No matter how dire the predictions are, Southtowns leaders say they are more than ready to handle any sort of winter storm.
Advance planning and experience help, says Sean Crotty, Hamburg Emergency Manager.
"Discussions we have in what we call 'the blue sky' weather help us in January," Crotty said.
The same is true in West Seneca, says Town Supervisor Gary Dickson.
"We make sure we are ready," Dickson said,
In West Seneca that means sending 16 plows out to remove snow. It generally takes about four hours for the crews to make one sweep through the 120 miles of roads and streets the West Seneca public works team handles.
Hamburg has 14 trucks - six of which were out salting and prepping streets on Jan. 19 in advance of likely winter storm.
"In our case, when they say it might snow in the southtowns, we know we are right in the mix," Crotty said.
Residents know and respect those forecasts.
Longtime Hamburg resident Kevin Kerins said he makes sure his house is winter-ready.
Kerins was briefly caught in a Jan. 19 white out but his experience - including an Army stint serving in Alaska had him prepared.
"We just drove slower and were cautious," Kerins said.
Crotty said his department, this November, had a Thruway training session with their counterparts from Pennsylvania and Ohio just to prep for anything that may happen along the Thruway.
Dickson said training and prep work is a must for his public works and highway crews.
"But, we've learned to take things in stride," Dickson said.