POCONOS – Not a flake fell over much of the northern Poconos last weekend, when places around Philadelphia got over a foot.  We won’t be so fortunate this time.

Early predictions are that four to eight inches are likely for much of the area, with the southeast Poconos possibly getting a foot or more.

PennDOT crews are preparing to deal with this second snowstorm that will impact much of Pennsylvania.  Motorists are urged to avoid unnecessary travel after the storm hits on Feb. 9 and Feb. 10, and those who must travel should expect delays.

“I want to applaud those motorists who heeded our warnings last week and stayed off the roads over the weekend,” said PennDOT’s Deputy Secretary for Highway Administration, Scott Christie, P.E. “However, this storm will occur during the week when many motorists will have no choice but to travel, so we’re asking them to allow extra time to reach their destinations and be sure that their vehicle emergency kits are packed.”

PennDOT is making repairs to any equipment damaged during this past weekend’s storm and will have its entire fleet operational for this new winter event. Minor damages such as broken wipers and burned out lights are common when removing heavy amounts of snow. Overall, the department has approximately 2,200 plow trucks available.

According to Christie, interstates and other high-volume expressways are treated first during winter storms. Secondary state routes are a lower priority and during severe winter storms, deeper accumulations will occur on these roadways.