Thinking of heading to the mountains this weekend, not so fast. Skiers and snowboarders might expect the high snow levels to look like a winter wonderland but rain is expected to drench the Tahoe area and could melt the fresh powder and cause dangerous flooding in the mountains and below. The National Weather Service is advising travelers to postpone trips until Monday, when the snow level falls. “We’re looking at flooding on roadways, those streams and rivers are going to be running very high and the potential for rock and mudslides on those mountain roads as well,” said meteorologist Courtney Obergsell. Skiers are still renting gear at Sports Basement in Berkeley are looking forward to at least one good day on the mountain. “I think everybody gets excited when these storms roll in,” said Brian Martin of Sports Basement. Martin says workers are seeing long lines and people getting their skis and snowboards waxed hoping a storm in the Bay Area translates to snow in the mountains, which is not always the case. “But if a pineapple express shows up and starts raining on all this snow we got it could get kind of messy,” he said. The messiness could lead to road hazards like slush, ice and pooling water in lanes of traffic. “We really ask people to slow down to watch their following distances, not make multiple lane changes,” said CHP Officer Vu Williams, “Bring speed down. “If you’re heading to the mountains carry chains for your tires.
