A Nevada Day storm moved into the Sierra on Thursday, dropping just enough snow to give a few ski areas some pre-Thanksgiving optimism.
Boreal Mountain Resort, which managed to open a couple of runs for a couple of days two weeks ago, plans to try again this weekend.
Kirkwood got 3 inches of snow and is hoping to open the weekend before Thanksgiving.
Alpine Meadows, with 9 inches on the ground, also is hoping to turn on the lifts that weekend.
''It's winterlike. This is significant,'' spokeswoman Rachel Woods said. ''It's wonderful because it cools off the ground but we do need a lot of snow to open. We want to cover up those bare spots and have a fun time rather than a rocky time.''
Thursday's disturbance was the first of two expected this weekend and was likely the lesser of the two.
''We're seeing a definite shift toward a winter weather pattern,'' National Weather Service meteorologist Steve Brown said.
The Desert Research Institute got in on the action, turning on its snow-making generators in the Lake Tahoe Basin for the first time this year, according to spokesman John Doherty.
No driving restrictions were in effect in the Sierra at nightfall, but truckers were being screened in both directions on Interstate-80 to be sure they were carrying chains.
The system was expected to bring up to 6 inches of snow to the upper elevations of the Sierra with the snow level dipping to about 5,000 feet overnight down the eastern slopes.
More moisture and colder air were to move into California on Saturday, preceded by strong gusty winds.
It was expected to bring significant snow to the northern Sierra by Saturday afternoon as showers spread to western Nevada toward the end of the Nevada Day activities in Carson City.
A much colder and wetter airmass was to move in over Nevada on Sunday with snow levels possibly near the valley floors.