Police in Reno and at Lake Tahoe's south shore hope the New Year's Eve storm will drive revelers indoors and dampen any excessive exuberance.
"We still have to plan for the worst," Douglas County Sheriff's Sgt. Tom Mezzetta said Thursday.
His department will oversee tonight's celebrations in Lake Tahoe's casino corridor, where as many as 65,000 people were expected before the late year storm began.
"The bad weather will make it difficult getting to Tahoe. That will delay some, but it's an enticement for others who like to come up and ski," he said.
With 2-3 feet of snow on the ground Thursday at lake level, forecasters were calling for up to 4 feet more by midnight today, accompanied by temperatures approaching the teens and gusty winds.
U.S. 50, which is shut down for the celebration, was closed part of Thursday by blizzard-like conditions.
