MONCTON -- Winter is still 45 days away, but plows were ready and waiting Thursday for the first official snowfall of the year in some areas.

"One thing that is going to be different this time of year, is that because the ground is going to be relatively warm so it's still giving off a fair bit of heat," said Jeff Scott of Moncton Public Works. "So, as we get snow, it may not be accumulating the same amount as it would in other areas, so we just have to wait and see how it plays out."

With a messy mix of snow and rain expected for the region, many municipalities have had the push on to be prepared days before their usual Nov. 15 deadline.

"In the last couple of years, snow events have been coming a little bit earlier than historically has been the situation, but we just kind of have to roll with whatever the environment gives us," Scott said.

Many pre-treatment options have been axed due to the excessive rain expected to fall before changing over to snow as the temperatures drop.

"When we're into colder temperatures, we may do a brine application on the roads ahead of time," Scott said. "But because we're getting rain, it would wash away any pre-treatments so we just have to wait until it transitions over to snow and then respond with that."

As is often the case this time of year, tire shops say they've been booked solid since word of a possible snowfall. 

Airport crews have been monitoring the forecast closely since the beginning of the week.

As of Thursday afternoon, no changes had been made to flights to or from the Atlantic provinces.