While there's been no shortage of snow so far this year, the city seems to be running low on the tools that people need to get them through this harsh winter.

Sick and tired of having to shovel his driveway, homeowner Tony Maione has been combing the GTA to find a snow blower. But while he's found plenty of snow, he can't find a machine.  

"I've checked four or five major retailers for a replacement snow blower and haven't been able to find one."

And from the looks of it, snow shovels are also becoming hot commodities in the cold, too.

"There's none [shovels] whatsoever," said Gloria Rebelo from M&L Lumber on Dundas and Euclid. "We've been sold out for quite a while now."

After several calls and visits to major stores across the city, CityNews finally stumbled on one that still had a few snow throwers left to sell.

"We just got a few more in at the end of last week," explained Tony Deluca, owner of Rona Hardware at Kingston Road and Markham. "We've only got about two left. It's been an interesting season this year."

Meanwhile, the province is experiencing a shortage of a different kind: road salt. Officials in Durham have started to mix their salt with a higher proportion of sand to conserve their stock. The mixture is 75 per cent sand and while considered safe, drivers still need to be extra careful.

"Drivers are advised to use extra caution," warned Dave Penak from the Durham Works Department. "There's going to be severe weather conditions so their safety is going to be mostly dependant on their driving."

In the meantime, there's nothing wrong with the supplies that a long warm spell won't fix. The question for many is whether it's ever going to actually get here.