As storm front blows in, every cloud has silver lining for eastern Sierra

Western Nevada is in for a "good, decent soaking" during the next several days - and that will be a mere prelude to a big wet kiss of snow from the Sierra to the valley floor Sunday and Monday, according to the National Weather Service.

"Basically, we have a series of storms that I think a lot of people are pretty excited about because we've been high-and-dry," meteorologist Scott McGuire said, adding that he's expecting a "good, decent soaking" before the storm system is finished with the region.

McGuire said there is about an 80 percent chance of rain today - which happens to be day two of a weeklong series of storms that will likely culminate with snow Sunday and Monday.

The heaviest precipitation will fall Friday and Saturday, though not enough to be concerned about flooding, McGuire said, adding the caveat that it is still early and weather is hard to predict.

For Sunday snow, McGuire estimated the Sierra will see between 3 and 5 feet above 8,000 feet - "definitely a welcome sight for the ski resorts and skiers," he said - 12 to 18 inches at Lake Tahoe and 2 to 4 inches on the valley floor.

In Carson City, Deputy Public Works Director Darren Schulz said he would be watching the weather and readying for whatever Mother Nature tosses onto the streets.

"If we get a couple of inches, we treat that one way," Schulz said of snowplow preparations. "And if there is a foot, we treat that another way."

They have 12 trucks and the appropriate crew ready to go with pre-storm salt brine for ease of snow removal and post-plow salt cinder to spread for traction.

Schulz also encouraged travelers to head toward major roads after the snowfall: They might have more traffic, but they also are more likely to have been plowed, he said.

But it's hard to predict this early out what the street department will face, Schulz said. Likewise for how quenched the region will be after the storms have passed, he said.

"That's a little bit of a guessing game," Schulz said.

The U.S. Forest Service has also been readying for the storm, according to spokeswoman Lisa Herron. Work on an aspen restoration project near Camp Richardson was wrapping up Tuesday. The remainder of the project will be finished in late spring as weather allows, she said.

"Fuels-reduction work on the Angora Restoration project may stop depending on how much snow we receive," Herron wrote in an email. "The area is already winterized with appropriate (best management practices) that include soil cover and water bars."

Although excited at the prospect of snow, Tahoe-area businesses still have a wait-and-see mentality, with cautious optimism ruling the day.

"I'm thinking that once the first snow really hits this week and news coverage starts to spread around the state, we'll start getting a lot more calls," said Michael Rock, spokesman for Buckingham Properties, which offers luxury vacation rentals. "Media plays such a big part of it."

Greg Tenbroeck, owner of Greg's Snowblower Service and Repair, said he's seen an uptick in business following the snow predictions.

"Early season business back in November and December was outstanding," Tenbroeck said. "Once it didn't snow for a while, the phone kind of stopped ringing. With the announcement of this storm, it's been ringing off the hook."

Kevin Balibrera, owner of Kevin Bali Snow Removal, said he has seen no tangible increase in business due to the current forecast.

"No, people are waiting, basically, to see if it's actually going to snow," Balibrera said. "When the snow does come, we'll get a lot of calls from first-timers. But as far as regular seasonal customers go, no, I've had very limited calls."

• The Tahoe Daily Tribune contributed to this report.