(AP) — California highway officials say they will close three mountain passes near the Nevada line between Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park on Thursday as a precaution ahead of an early winter storm that’s expected to bring rain and snow to the Sierra.

Temperatures were plunging Wednesday in Reno ahead of the cold front. Highs were forecast to drop 10 to 15 degrees below normal Thursday through Saturday with weekend lows near and below freezing. to Friday,” the service said.

Several inches of snow are possible at the higher elevations. An even older air mass is expected to drop into the region Monday and Tuesday.