Winter doesn't even start until Sunday, but we're already getting a chilly reception to the changing season.
A simple drive on Highway 99 proved to be a wet and cold affair.
"It's kinda rough to see sometimes when it's raining," said Larry Neves of Fresno, "Pretty wet and slippery so be careful."
Fresno residents we spoke to also said it was time to winterize their homes. "It's that time, cleaning rain gutters is my concern this time of year," said Mark Cook of Fresno, "wrapping the pipes and everything and making sure they don't break and everything."
Winterizing expert Adam Klusener showed us several ways to protect pipes from freezing temperatures. "If you use this style here it's already pre-split so you can just pop it open and slide it right over the pipe."
And don't forget about protecting your outdoor faucets, "You just put the little collar, put it up against the house and cinch it down."
Your home's hardware isn't the only thing that needs attention when our valley temperatures dip near the freezing mark. Marvin Rezac covered his exotic plants and flower beds with frost-proof blankets. "Ususlly we lose them every year so we have to start all over again. We're hoping this year we won't have to do that in the spring.
The bitter cold has several Valley cities preparing their warming centers. Warming centers can be life savers this time of year for those who don't have a heating system or can't afford to use it.
Fresno is prepared to open the Frank H. Ball Center in the Southwest Fresno when the temperature drops to 36 degrees or lower. It will stay open from 7p.m. until 7a.m.
The city will also provide transportation to the warming center from the Fresno Rescue Mission.
The high sierra is packed with snow and visitors. This weekend's storm brought about five inches of snow to the area. Businesses in Shaver Lake said they've been waiting anxiously for the snow. So have the employees at Sierra Summit.
They said a few hundred people came through this weekend and that the ski season is officially underway. "Right now, it's pretty nice with all the powder. It's nice to ride on. Nice and quiet," said Sierra Summit visitor Zachary McClaskey
Sierra Summit is now open every day. They expect another storm this week will bring even more fresh snow to the area.
