JESSUP - Bob Hassel knows the calendar says winter is still more than eight weeks away.
But he also remembers 2011, when an unusually early winter storm pounded Northeast Pennsylvania with more than 9 inches of snow in late October.
"You better be prepared before winter shows up," said Mr. Hassel, maintenance services engineer for the state Department of Transportation's Dunmore-based District 4. "It's easier to do it now than it is when we are fighting a storm."
On Tuesday, District 4 hosted its annual winter readiness summit at the Lackawanna County Center for Public Safety to share information about the upcoming season and its emergency operations contingency plans with other agencies from across the region.
More than 30 people - including representatives of PennDOT, area emergency management agencies, Pennsylvania and New York state police, the Pennsylvania National Guard, local legislators and towing companies - participated in the three-hour session.
"It helps to get everybody together. We have teamwork, People get to know the faces," Mr. Hassel said.
Christopher M. Gitro, meteorologist with the National Weather Service station in Binghamton, N.Y., came bearing the bad news - at least from a transportation perspective.
After a 2011-12 winter that produced little snow and was among the mildest on record, the signs are pointing to a far more typical season this year in Northeast Pennsylvania, he said.
"We should have more snow than last year," Mr. Gitro said. "Last year was a complete novelty."
For the first time, PennDOT recruited towing companies to attend the summit, and about a half dozen responded. Mr. Hassel said because the companies have a stake in highway safety, PennDOT wanted to get them involved.
Michael Milewski Jr. of Milewski Towing and Recovery in West Scranton said it was an opportunity for towers to discuss their concerns with safety and communications directly with PennDOT and state police officials.
Contact the writer: dsingleton@timesshamrock.com