[NWS] – A cold storm system originating in the Gulf of Alaska will approach the California coast Tuesday night.

This story will bring increasing rain chances to Southwestern California on Wednesday, with rain and mountain snow expected across the area Wednesday night into Thursday.

Increasing south winds are likely for the mountains and coastal areas north of Point Conception, with windgusts up to 45 mph possible.

A cold air mass associated with this storm will lower snow levels to 4,500 to 5,000 feet Wednesday night, and locally to near 3,500 feet by Thursday morning.

Light to moderate rain and mountain snow are expected Wednesday night, with rain and snow showers diminishing through the day Thursday. Cold air aloft may bring a slight chance of thunderstorms to the area Thursday.

Precipitation totals for this event are expected to average 0.25 to 0.75 inches for the coas and valleys; 0.75 to 1.50 inches in the moutnains, and up to 0.25 inches in the deserts.

Snowfall totals through Thursday are expected to be 3 to 6 inches, with the higher amounts above 5,000 feet.

Potential impacts include snowfall on roadways traversing mountain passes such as the Grapevine late Wednesday night into Thursday. Accumulating snow is liketly to produce hazardous drving conditions, and gusty winds combined with moderate rain or snowfall may cause reduced visibilities at times.