With fresh snow in the Sierra on Tuesday, thunderstorms in the Sacramento Valley and stirring winds causing multiple power outages, Mother Nature is giving Northern California a preview of big weather events to come.

By week's end, a continuing series of storm fronts is expected to dump 5 to 10 feet of snow in the mountains and drench the Valley as winds and wet conditions threaten trees and power lines and challenge freeway commuters.

But with drought-starved reservoirs shallow and local creeks and streams parched by a long drought, regional flood control officials predict little danger for Valley communities that historically have been vulnerable during heavy downpours.

Meanwhile, state water officials are uncertain how much the storms will help California's water needs.

Yet, with two sizable storm fronts expected to pound Northern California today and Thursday, communities braced for the impact of the wet weather. Utilities prepared for multiple power outages from winds gusting up to 60 mph in the Valley and up to 70 mph in the Sierra.

"With this kind of winds and rain, we could be looking at more downed power lines and a lot of broken branches," said National Weather Service meteorologist Tom Dang.

On Tuesday, as the Sacramento region dealt with the second of the series of four storms, Pacific Gas & Electric crews worked to restore power to customers in Yolo County and another 1,500 customers who faced scattered outages in Placer, El Dorado and neighboring Sierra foothill counties.

"We will have all available resources working all week to respond to power outages when and where they occur," said PG&E spokesman Brian Swanson.

Swanson said the PG&E meteorologists are tracking weather patterns "to deploy resources in areas that need them the most." He asked citizens encountering downed power lines to "assume they're energized, stay away and immediately call 911."

Watching for flooding

The National Weather Service has issued urban and small stream flood advisories for Northern California. But officials in communities hard hit by flooding in past years say they aren't worried.

In Yuba County, where levee breaks along the Feather River caused massive flooding in 1997, Emergency Services Officer Scott Bryan said, "We're not anticipating any type of major high-water event coming from these storms."

Bryan said the flood danger has dropped as the drought has reduced the Oroville Reservoir to 30 percent of capacity. He said the region's New Bullards Bar Reservoir is barely half full.

But the county is urging residents to clear out roof gutters and keep debris from storm drains that could cause water to accumulate.

In Roseville, where floodwaters damaged 358 structures in 1995, officials are monitoring water levels along Dry Creek, Linda Creek and Cirby Creek and planned to post "real-time creek-level information" on the city's Web site, www.roseville.ca.us.

"The creek levels are nice and low," Rhon Herndon, the city's public works engineering manager, said Tuesday. "We have a lot of capacity to accept water. And there will be time between the (storm) waves so that the creeks can draw down."

In Sonoma County, where the flood-prone Russian River last overflowed in 2006, emergency services manager Sandy Covall-Alves said the river is expected to swell to 24 feet by Thursday - still 8 feet below flood level.

"Obviously, we've had three years of drought. So it is welcome rain," she said.

The U.S. Coast Guard rescued two duck hunters early Tuesday morning near the Liberty Island Bridge close to Dixon after their boat took on water, the Associated Press reported. Waves fueled by high winds reportedly lapped over the edge of their 10-foot boat; neither of the men was injured.

Highway 70 near the border of Butte and Plumas counties remained closed Tuesday after a rock slid onto the roadway Monday. The rock must be blasted apart to clear the roadway.

Storms to quench drought?

It remains unclear whether the continued rain and snow can assuage concerns about the state's drought-starved water supplies.

Maury Roos, a hydrologist at the California Department of Water Resources, said he doesn't think the rain this week will even fill large north state reservoirs such as Shasta Lake and Lake Oroville to their average capacities for this time of year.

"It's a very good chunk, but it's not a whole water year," Roos said. "But we may well wind up with an above-average January when it is done."

For Michael Hicks, owner of the Strawberry Lodge, above Kyburz in El Dorado County, the forecast for more snow - after a foot's worth on Monday and Tuesday - is only good news.

With anticipated chain controls nearby on U.S. Highway 50, the lodge has chains for $59.95 and up. It also has plenty of rooms for motorists who would rather rest in a picturesque setting than slip and slide over the summit during a snowstorm.

Hicks said skiers and snowboarders, most pre-equipped with chains or four-wheel-drive vehicles, should have few problems.

But he said unprepared gamblers and conventioneers headed to Lake Tahoe or Reno are often tripped up by bad weather. When that happens, or the highway is closed, Hicks said, "This place turns into a madhouse. I rent every room in the place sometimes."