COUNTYWIDE : Expect Wet Weather but Nothing Heavy

The forecast calls for rain to beat Southlandcommuters to work this morning, starting at daybreak and making the morning rush hour soggy and cold.

The storm should last through most of the day, but it will not drench the area like the rains of the last two weeks.

In Orange County, the storm is expected to bring less than an inch of rain in coastal areas, with up to 2 inches in inland areas of higher elevation.

“The rain chances are real good,” said Steve Burback, meteorologist at WeatherData Inc., which provides forecasts for The Times. Rain is expected to reach the county by midmorning, but could come as early as daybreak, he said.

The storm, which was moving down the coast from the Gulf of Alaska, was expected to bring from 6 inches to a foot of snow to local mountain regions above the 4,000-foot level tonight. Snow was predicted at elevations as low as 1,000 feet in Northern California and to 2,000 feet in the central Sierra Nevada.

Orange County is expected to see little variation in temperatures, reaching about 60 degrees inland and the mid-50s along the coast, Burback said. Overnight temperatures could dip into the 40s.

“It doesn’t appear to be a heavy storm,” he said. “But it is unusual for this time of year, more like a winter storm.”

The low-pressure system should head out Tuesday, leaving some colder temperatures and “pretty strong” winds, Burback said. Highs will not get above the 50s and will be accompanied by 30 m.p.h. wind gusts.

“Tuesday you may see just scattered showers, not nearly as much as Monday and Monday night,” Burback said. “And the rest of the week looks dry until at least Friday night or Saturday.”

Sunshine should prevail Wednesday, and a warming trend is predicted Thursday and Friday, with temperatures climbing back into the 60s and possibly low 70s.

The March storms have helped boost the area’s rainfall to about 80% of normal for this time of year, according to the National Weather Service. Since July 1, about 8 inches of rain have fallen in Santa Ana.