C. Oregon stores ready for next blast of winter

If it’s used for winter, sold in a store, chances are it’s flying off the shelf. Snow and ice hit the High Desert, and we all head to the nearest hardware store to stock up for the fight against Mother Nature.

“It’s been crazy the last couple days,” Tom Byrne, Ace Hardware store manager in Bend, said Wednesday. “We’re moving product out of here faster than expected, trying to keep up with demand.”

When the first round of recent snow hit Central Oregon, people flocked to the stores.

“People did try to prepare a little bit,” said Byrne. “It kind of came out of nowhere, and everyone stocked up, and we tried to keep up with demand.”

The shelves at Ace Hardware on Third Street in Bend are running low on deicer, but more is on the way.

“We’ve got more coming in tomorrow (Thursday), truckloads full to all three stores, so (we’ll) definitely have stock on hand,” said Byrne.

In Bend, not clearing your sidewalk within 24 hours of a storm could land you a $100 fine.

The Home Depot and Lowe’s stores in Bend said they have seen quite a few people coming in for winter gear, but added they are stocked and ready for the next round of storms.

Along with clearing your sidewalks, Bend firefighters are also asking you to clear any snow around nearby fire hydrants. They say to keep at least three feet around the hydrant clear and a path to the road, and to also check emergency exits and entrances.