Nevada City and Grass Valley, siblings in Gold Country near Sacramento, have been drawing more visitors than ever.

The city developed along the banks of Deer Creek in 1849 after gold was discovered there, and by 1850, according to the Nevada City Chamber of Commerce, there were 10,000 people in the town.

The biggest snowstorm of the season is underway in portions of California and Nevada, where snow will be measured in feet, not inches. Some portions of the Sierra Nevada could see as much as 10 to ...