STATELINE (WIFR) -- With Thursdays big snowfall, many local families are preparing to dig out. And local governments have the plow trucks armed and ready.

Blain's Farm & Fleet has had shovels and snow blowers since October. "Normally they were always gone in November. Normally we would be completely out of snow blowers already, but here they are," says Don Eckelbarger of Blain's Farm & Fleet. Customers stocked up on shovels, salt, sand bags, and some even spent as much as $600 on a new snow blower. Eckelbarger says, "We've probably sold most shovels today than we did in the last month and a half."

Twenty-two Rockford snow plows are set to hit city streets in the early hours of the morning... And will spread more than 7-thousand tons of salt. "We have a solid foundation for our snow plan and we make subtle adjustments to suit the occasion," says Mark Stockman, Street Superintendent of The City of Rockford. Right now at the Winnebago County Highway Department... it's all quiet on the western front. But come tomorrow morning, trucks will be ready for battle.

"The biggest thing for motorists are to give the operator plenty of room. They've got a lot of stuff to focus on. They're going to be going about 25 to 35 miles an hour,so they're going to be slow. If you can give them clearance, just have patience for them to get through, " says Dan Davis, Operations Manager for Winnebago County Highway Department.

And the best advice snow plow drivers can give... leave for your commute earlier. Davis says, "Everything's ready to go, so now it's just waiting for the snow fall to come."