It looks like Swampscott could get its first appreciable snowfall of 2012 overnight and again on Saturday during the day.

Public Works Director Gino Cresta said Thursday at noon that he was hearing a prediction of 1-3 inches tonight and conflicting reports for Saturday.

Saturday's predictions include calls for 1 to 3 inches or as much as 6 inches.

In any event, four salt and sand trucks will hit local roads tonight, he said.

Cresta will monitor the situation on Saturday and call in crews as needed.

The department will be hooking up plows tomorrow.

So far this season, the department has spent only about $15,000 of its $150,000 budget for snow removal.

That includes money for overtime, contractors, sand and salt.

This year's savings, so far, on the snow budget, contrasts with last year's spending on snow removal.

During the snow heavy 2010-11 season DPW overspent its budget by $177,000, the director said.