Rain, snow headed to Southern California

A storm barreling in from the Gulf of Alaska is expected to douse Southern California with rain and snow beginning Wednesday, possibly snarling the afternoon commute, the National Weather Service said.

Between a quarter and a half-inch of rain could drench the coast and valleys, while the mountains could get as much as an inch, said meteorologist Curt Kaplan. By Thursday, snow is expected to blanket the mountains as low as 3,500 feet, possibly making areas like the Grapevine more difficult to traverse.

A winter weather advisory for the mountains that begins Wednesday at 4 p.m. and ends 24 hours later warns of breezy winds with gusts up to 40 mph.

Temperatures in the region will be below normal-–in the high 50s to mid-60s though the weekend. Forecasters anticipate the possibility of rain lingering through Tuesday.

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