The first rainstorm of the season hits Southern California

Southern California was hit by what forecasters said was the first rain of the season Saturday.

The rain, along with strong winds, will last through the afternoon. Cloudy skies with a chance of more rain are in the forecast for Sunday.

Downtown L.A. and nearby areas could see up to a quarter-inch of rain, said Kristen Stewart, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Oxnard, who described the coming weather system as “the first rain event of the season.”

The storm could also bring fresh snow to higher elevations. Southern California’s mountains are expected to see snowfall above 5,000 feet, Stewart said. The California Department of Transportation will require motorists to use chains on their tires in mountainous areas.

Elsewhere, the same system is predicted to bring a foot of snow to the Lake Tahoe region as it sweeps into the Sierra Nevada. The area has been experiencing record or near-record high temperatures for the last week.