Winter’s first big storm may have taken a lot of residents by surprise, but not the Nevada Department of Transportation.

“We knew this was going to be the first big storm of the year and we were prepared,” said NDOT spokesman Scott Magruder.

He said snow blowers and plows hit the road in force by the time the storm hit, as many as 40 pieces of equipment and 100 crew members.

“We had a full team out there,” he said.

As a result, he said District Engineer Thor Dyson reports they were able to keep all roads open through the weekend including the Lake Tahoe Basin, Mount Rose Highway and Spooner Summit.

He said no avalanches and no closures were reported.

Magruder said most of those drivers are veterans who know the roads well.

“These guys take pride in what they do,” he said.

Up-to-date road and weather reports are available by dialing 511 or logging on to http://www.nevadadot.com and clicking on the 511 link.

To the delight of skiers and snowboards, the storm dumped about 2 feet of snow in the higher elevations around Lake Tahoe, just in time for the upcoming holiday season. Until now, ski resorts have had to rely on manmade snow to cover the slopes.