Bay Area skiers flock to Tahoe ahead of big storm

BERKELEY, Calif. - A major snow storm is expected to blanket the Sierra with some much needed snow this weekend. The National Weather Service is warning of the potential for blizzard-like conditions in the mountains much of Saturday, and Caltrans says travel on area roads could be "difficult to impossible."

KTVU spoke with Tahoe travel expert Kevin "Coop" Cooper ahead of the storm on Friday. "If you’re gonna drive, it’s tonight or very, very early [Saturday] morning, but have that winter kit with you, chains, tensioners, flares, water," said Cooper, Director of Communications for Cali Pass Resorts. Cooper also reminded drivers to make sure that their car tanks were full or completely charged. 

With the snow nearing, California Ski Company in Berkeley welcomed in a last minute influx of customers readying for the mad dash to Tahoe.

"Business is starting to pick up and it’s pretty exciting," said Greg Winkels, the store manager of California Ski Company on Friday. "They should hopefully be going up now, I know tomorrow is supposed to be a little windy."

"I’m not going tomorrow, no, no," said Shawn Trujillo of Oakland, who was getting fitted for new boot liners, and planned to leave for Kirkwood on Sunday in his all-wheel drive Subaru. "Last minute trip up there. You know, if it gets too sketchy, we’ll call it."

Also bound for Tahoe in the store was Mark Leblanc, and his son Elliot of Hayward.

"Monday will be a pow day so we’re going to go up after the storm hits, and avoid all the traffic and the weather snarls," said Elliot Leblanc of Oakland.

Caltrans also reminded drivers who were heading up to check its social media for the latest traffic conditions and potential closures before leaving.