Light snow fell to up on Mount Charleston on Monday.  And with the worst on the horizon, first responders and crews are in position and ready to go ahead of the major snowstorm.

The sun was out, and the roads were clear ahead of a winter storm dropping heavy snow on mount charleston.

“We came up here because we knew it was going to snow a lot later, so we wanted to come up while the roads were still good,” said Heather Vallejos, visitor.

The Vallejos family traveled up to Mt. Charleston to enjoy time in the snow, but they made sure to head back home before the roads got ugly.

“We’re just gonna sled a little bit more, have a snack now and probably hang out,” said John Vallejos. 

The Nevada Department of Transportation is sending extra staff to help keep the roads clear, and they have their work cut out for them because the winter storm is expected to drop between 12 to 18 inches of snow by Tuesday morning.

The department has a thousand yards of de-icing material and 125 yards of sand ready to go, along with four snow plows.  Clark County will also have a crew plowing overnight, and as always, the Mount Charleston fire protection district is on stand by.

“Making sure that our staff is ready to go, our equipment is ready to go,” said Fire Chief George Gonzalez, Mt. Charleston Fire Protection District. 

Gonzalez says every time there’s a snowstorm, their call volume goes up 60-percent.

Most of them are related to vehicle accidents, sledding accidents of people coming up here,” Gonzalez said.

Road conditions are always a concern during a winter storm, but it’s welcoming news for those heading up to the ski resort.  Gonzalez is urging drivers without 4-wheel-drive vehicles to pack snow chains before heading to the mountain.

“We love the snow, so we always come here and hang out,” said Emily Bershadsky, snowboarder.

On Monday, Lee Canyon crews made sure they were geared up to do snow removal and plowing to be confident skiers and snowboarders can make it to the resort and enjoy the fresh powder on the slopes after it falls.

“Good snow season, I guess so far; better than last year,” Bershadsky said. 

However, there is a warning from the fire department to all visitors having fun in the snow: Don’t play around rocks, trees, or debris. 

To check road conditions go here or dial 5-1-1.