Mayor Bill de Blasio announced closures for public schools around the city Thursday as the Department of Sanitation and Office of Emergency Management finalized preparations for an approaching winter storm.

DSNY says the winter storm is expected to drop up to 5 inches on the city Thursday, and residents are gearing up.

Many people stopped at the borough's hardware stores on their way home from work for ice melt, shovels and other supplies.

"We're getting ready," says Alan Butrico, who owns a hardware store in Flatlands. "I mean, it's definitely coming."

Experts also say residents should keep their thermostats high enough to prevent their pipes from freezing in the bitter cold weather ahead.

Water pipes in unheated parts of the home, like basements, are at the greatest risk of freezing and bursting, experts say. To avoid that, they recommend keeping the heat on even when you're not home and softly running faucets when you're out to keep water moving.

"When something doesn't seem right, it's probably not right," says Chris Petri, a plumber. "If you open up a faucet and have no water coming out, make sure you call a plumber immediately."