POLLOCK PINES, Calif. — Residents of El Dorado County are on high alert as they prepare for what they believe will be the worst of the snow Friday.
Sleet and heavy fog in Pollock Pines are a clear sign a major winter storm is incoming. People who live nearby, like Ian Taylor, are out shopping and taking advantage of the calm before the heavy snow rolls in.
"I've been up here for 17 years and when the weather gets bad, what I witness is people driving too fast for the weather conditions,” he said.
He’s also worried about losing power and having to drive down to Sacramento for work. He remembers last winter when a large crowd of visitors heading up Highway 50 ended up stranded in Pollock Pines after roads were closed.
"It got really crowded and it was like… you shouldn't be here. 50 closed, I believe it was because of an avalanche, and they were just all packed in this Pollock Pines area. Pony Express was just bumper-to-bumper. If you don't have to travel, don't travel," said Taylor.
He says anyone not in the Tahoe area already should cancel their plans. A sign now sites at the intersection of Pony Express Trail and Sly Park Road. It asks people not to park there when there’s snow removal or be towed.
Howdy Newcomb, the owner of Newcomb Tree Experts, says drivers should avoid the roads if possible.
"When these storms come in, it's hard because the temperature changes drastically, quickly like you just saw it started hailing. You're going to have traffic accidents. You're going to have high winds up here," said Newcomb.
His tree service company works throughout Northern California and he says this particular area can be a problem with high winds and heavy snow.
"It's dangerous and you're not going to get through, and it's going to be a long drive over that summit, and they might close Highway 50 and then you're stuck here,” said Taylor.
WATCH MORE: Blizzard Warning: Caltrans advises avoiding Sierra travel as winter storm slams Northern California
