People prepare for winter storm

If Saturday afternoon’s howling winds were an indication of the strength of the incoming winter storm, then it could pack a powerful punch.

People packed the grocery stores Saturday to buy essentials before the storm moves in.

“I would usually go shopping on the first of the month but I decided to go today to avoid the storm,” Sheryl Allred said.

Ron Ebersohl and Kathy Wilhite joined Allred and the hundreds of other shoppers.

“We got all the things we needed for comfort food since we’ll be stuck inside house,” Ebersohl said.

“Snowstorms in Colorado Springs can be pretty harrowing with all the traffic and I think most people would do what they can to avoid driving in the store,” Frank O’Donnell said.

The amount of shoppers left some store shelves bare, but shoppers said employees at King Soopers did a great job of replenishing.

“Toilet paper and milk were low but they did have people restocking it just as fast as people were grabbing it,” Wilhite said.

Street crews also prepared early, repairing and cleaning the plows and filling the pre-treating trucks on Friday.

Crews will be in at midnight on Sunday to head out on “snow patrol.”