PG&E and California Highway Patrol preparing for weekend storms

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Between the storms and holiday this weekend, expect to see more California Highway Patrol officers on the roadways as they increase patrols to keep the roads safe.

Wet weather can often mean more wrecks on the roadways, something the Highway Patrol saw last weekend and anticipates again with more storms.

"There were several weather-related spin-outs, a lot of vehicles traveling high rates of speeds not anticipating the rain that was to come," said Ofc. Carlos Medina, California Highway Patrol.

Traffic is only expected to be worse as more people hit the road for the Easter holiday.

Medina suggests if you're heading out, leave extra time, and make sure your car is ready for the conditions.

"Make sure that you have adequate tire pressure in there, your tire tread is good, your vehicle is in safe working order, brakes are good," said Medina.

PG&E is also preparing. The utility is not expecting significant outages, but crews will be ready to respond.

"One thing our meteorological department is able to do is kind of get a general idea of what areas may be hardest hit and make sure we mobilize crews in those areas," said Jeff Smith, PG&E Spokesman. "That's typically, particularly with a storm like this, going to be the more rural areas, the more mountainous areas."

Smith said they're having line workers rest *now* so they are ready to be out during the storm if needed.

PG&E is also encouraging you to be prepared for any outages by making sure your phone is fully charged and having batteries and battery-powered flashlights on hand.

The CHP is hoping the wet weather may discourage some people from traveling to limit the number of drivers on the road.

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