Stormy Week for California: Rain, Mountain Snow in Store

Rain in Oakland, Calif. Photo by Flickr user Greg Woodhouse Photography.

By Meghan Evans, Meteorologist

Apr 9, 2012; 3:58 PM ET

Late-season storms will impact the West this week, bringing much cooler air, rain and mountain snow to California.
The first storm will be rather slow-moving, spreading rain into the Bay Area of California by late tonight. Rain will spread slowly inland Tuesday into Tuesday night.
"This will be a pretty good rainmaker," Ken Clark, AccuWeather.com expert senior meteorologist, said. "A general rainfall in north-central California from the Bay Area to Sacramento will be 0.50-1.00 inch."
Even more rain will fall in the western slopes of the coastal ranges and the Sierra.
While the rain is welcome in California, travel problems are likely to result. Low clouds and rain could delay flights at the San Francisco International Airport, while traffic may be slowed on the ground.

With chilly air arriving, it will be snow that falls in the higher elevations. One to two inches of snow will accumulate at resort level in the Sierra with some disruptions possible along major passes such as Donner Pass.
"Rain will reach the Los Angeles Basin late tomorrow night into Wednesday morning with about one third to two thirds of an inch falling," Clark said.
Snow will fall over the mountains of Southern California by midweek with snow levels as low as 4,500 feet. Some snow may even mix in down to pass level, but no accumulation is expected.
The cooler and unsettled weather pattern will last through late-week in the West.

Stormy Week for California: Rain, Mountain Snow in Store