A state of emergency has been declared in Massachusetts. Our Madeline Rivera is in Pittsfield with more on how residents are trying to make the best out of the snow storm.

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. -- “It's gonna be a real knock-out.”

That's what residents are saying about this storm. It's expected to bring about 12 to 18 inches of snow in the Berkshires, making it one of the area's biggest snow storms in recent years.

Many headed to grocery stores to stock up on food and water.

“Been a little crazy, everyone's hustling and bustling trying to get last minute items, like batteries,” said Rob Leddick, co-manager, Price Chopper.

They're doing this in case of any power outages. But many will also not be able to hit the road to run errands. Governor Patrick banned non emergency vehicles on the road beginning at 4 p.m.

Pittsfield declared a snow emergency, too. This means that from 6 p.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Sunday, no cars are allowed to the park on any streets that needs to be plowed.

“Stay off the streets. Please use our facilities around town to park our cars and clean our streets in a safe manner,” said Mayor Dan Bianchi.

All hands are on deck. The DPW’s working around the clock to clean the roads and they've got more than 475 tons of salt ready to go.

“We'll work through the night to make sure the city is clear and safe. But, it's going to be a challenging storm,” said Mayor Bianchi.

But, that won't stop many residents from trying to enjoy the heaviest snowfall of the season.

“It's the Berkshires. Everybody complains about it and cries. I'm going to make the most of it and have fun.”

And some say that staying at home might not be such a bad thing.

“Well yeah, I'm going to bake. Since we're going to have a storm. I'm going to be in the house. I’m going to cook.”