Reno city crews have been preparing for the latest storm system for the past week.
"We've seen this coming for a number of days now so we get out and warn people," said Reno Fire Chief Dave Cochran. "Public Works has been preparing all week so if it does turn into something worse than we're expected, we're going to be ready for it."
Crews in Sparks have been preparing as well.
"We go out and make sure our drainage are clear," said Andy Hummel, the city's Utility Manager. "We did a lot of work along the river picking up trash and letting our homeless residents know that this was coming so they could take precautions, whatever they need to do."
Snow melt is a contributing factor for the Truckee this time of year. That means the water is moving fast and it's very cold. Safety officials recommend staying away from the river when conditions are like this.
"Cold water is very dangerous," Cochran said. "You can lose full movement of your body within minutes and as soon as you lose that you can't save yourself or call for help. That's why it's important to recognize the danger and preferably stay away from the river when it's in this condition."
While this storm isn't expected to cause widespread flooding, it could affect road conditions. Drivers who encounter flooded roads and don't know how deep the water is are encouraged to take alternate routes.
"The streets, if they are flooded, a lot of the time what we can't see things like maybe an open manhole cover," Hummel said. "You could potentially drive into that and wreck your car."
Crews will be monitoring conditions throughout the weekend.
