Tahoe Business Eager For Resort Travelers Ahead Of Next Winter Storm

TRUCKEE (CBS13) - There's an incoming winter storm taking aim at Northern California which is expected to dump feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada and drop rain in the valley.

The snow is already flying on the peaks of Boreal Mountain Resort.

The resort was busy Friday afternoon ahead of the new winter coat that's expected to cover the Sierra.

That means three more area resorts can open this weekend: NorthStar, Heavenly, and Kirkwood.

The dedicated winter sports enthusiasts say they wouldn't miss this​ for anything.

"Cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and we have a dog that loves the snow," said Emily Wood.

Businesses in downtown Truckee are also eager for the snow to fall. They depend on those visitors to also shop after they ski.

"It's all just so weather dependent, and tourist-dependent and covid-dependent. It's really been a wild ride," said Shannon King with Uncorked.

She hopes the wet roads won't turn business away after an unpredictable 2021.

"I miss the friendly faces and the happy travelers," said King.

CalTrans says the timing of this storm may be treacherous for travelers.

"Hopefully people don't get stuck," she said.

The brunt of the storm is expected to hit late Saturday and early Sunday, right as skiers may be heading home.

CalTrans says to be prepared for chain controls and major delays.

Steve Nelson with CalTrans said, "We've seen 8 to 12 hours 15 hours during really nasty storms especially if we're holding traffic on I-80 or doing avalanche control on 50 over Echo Summit. It can stretch out to even double or triple the amount of time it would normally take."