Wet Morning Commute In Store For Northridge as Cold Storm Moves In

LOS ANGELES, CA — Angelenos can expect another rainy morning commute Wednesday as a cold winter storm moves in from the Gulf of Alaska.

The storm is expected to move in after midnight and will be characterized by light showers before heavy downpours hit later in the day in the Los Angeles region, according to the National Weather Service. Yet another storm system will push into the already saturated Southland Tuesday evening, with rain expected shortly after midnight and another wave arriving late Wednesday and into Thursday.

"Expect several hours of steady, mostly light rain," the weather service warned. "Impacts focused on outdoor events and road delays."

Temperatures will take another dive, tumbling more than 10 degrees by Wednesday in Los Angeles and running 15 to 20 degrees below average for inland areas.

Snow levels are expected to drop, affecting the Grapevine and bringing a dusting of snow to Big Bear.

"Expected snow amounts for the upcoming storm," the weather service tweeted. "Expect snow related delays on mountain roads as snow levels crash to 3,000 to 4,000 feet by Wednesday."

National Weather Service forecasters said the rain will reach Los Angeles County sometime between midnight and 3 a.m.

"This first band of rain will be steady but fairly short-lived, around six hours, and generally on the lighter side, mostly a tenth of an inch per hour or less, though locally up to a quarter-inch per hour in the foothills and mountains," according to the NWS.

After the first round of rain, the region will enjoy a break for about six to eight hours, followed by a "colder and more unstable portion" of the storm system that will arrive late Wednesday and stretch into Thursday morning.

"This will be more showery in nature but with higher rain rates and possible thunderstorms," according to the NWS.

A winter storm warning will be in effect from 4 a.m. Wednesday until 2 p.m. Thursday in the eastern San Gabriel Mountains, with 6 to 12 inches of snow possible above 5,000 feet. Forecasters said some higher peaks could see up to 18 inches, with the snow accompanied by winds gusting up to 45 mph.

The storm system is expected to move out of the area by late Thursday, with dry but cool conditions anticipated for Friday and the weekend.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Lucas Combos contributed to this report.