The barometer drops, the sky goes the color of an old nickel, and Snow Chasers LLC starts loading salt. Mount Vernon is short on parking and shorter on patience, so a storm is won in the hours before it lands — routes set, driveways mapped, everyone knowing which apron gets opened first. Then comes the plowing, the shoveled walk, the salt laid down in the dark so the front steps are safe by breakfast. Once the ground softens the same crew turns to mowing, trimming, edging and cleanups, and those same properties get the summer version of the same attention. Chasing weather in either direction turns out to be one occupation.