The Sierra Braces For Wet And Windy End To Holiday Weekend

TRUCKEE, Calif. (CBS 13) - Visitors and locals in the Sierra are preparing for rain and snow this weekend.  And as drivers wrap up their holiday vacations, they have to be ready for possible wet roads ahead.

"It's been great, it's been fantastic, the weather's been nice," said Ashish Kurani, who lives in the Bay Area.  But early Sunday morning, winter weather is expected to arrive in the Sierra.

"We were [in Tahoe] for the whole week for Thanksgiving, and we were going to stay until tomorrow, but we know this big storm is coming in, so we're sneaking down the hill tonight," he told CBS13.  Snow is already on the ground near Soda Springs and wind is expected to pick up across the region, from the valley all the way to the top of the mountain.

"I'm excited," said 12-year-old Gaby Galinson, "I'm ready to ski this season!"

Edgar Gomez made the drive from Oakland to Truckee with his family, looking for their first glimpse of the holiday atmosphere.  He said he already felt the wind starting to pick up on I-80.  "I got scared," he said. "I was like 'What happened?"'

Caltrans told CBS 13 they've parked a few trucks along I-80 near Truckee and they're ready to spread sand if necessary.

"I gotta get ready though," Gomez said.  "I got some chains and all the stuff."  "It's a little a scary but we have four wheel drive," Galison said.  But Tahoe local Kristen Ferrall said she and the kids are ready for rain, snow and all that Mother Nature has in store this winter.

"Especially this time of year, with the holidays upon us, it's absolutely beautiful up here," she said.

As for Kurani, he plans to come back in a few weeks to enjoy the winter weather, but wants to end this holiday getaway with a dry freeway and no bumper-to-bumper traffic.

"Oh yeah, I'm very happy about the snow, but I gotta go to work Monday morning," he said.

Caltrans says they don't have plans for chain control Saturday night or Sunday morning.  But that could change late Sunday night when the snow starts to fall at higher elevations.