Coldest Storm Of Winter Season Arrives Tuesday In SoCal

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – Angelenos will need to bundle up as the coldest winter storm of the season is set to descend onto the Southland Tuesday, bringing rain to the valleys and snow to the mountains.

The cold front will arrive Tuesday and linger into Wednesday. According to forecasters, it will be the coldest storm of the winter season so far, with temperatures dipping into the 20s and 30s.

Isolated thunderstorms are in play for Tuesday night. Small hail is possible as well.

"These scattered showers become a little bit more widespread, especially during the evening commute," CBS2 Meteorologist Amber Lee said Tuesday. "And there is a chance, because this system is so cold, that we could see some isolated thunderstorms, and that could produce small hail."

The stormy weather is expected to kick into gear by Tuesday afternoon into Tuesday night. Most areas will see anywhere up to a quarter-inch of rain. Foothills and mountains could see one to two inches of rain.

"We're gonna see on again, off again scattered showers throughout much of the afternoon, but the bulk of the energy arrives by the evening, and then late tonight, this is when we're going to start to see some of the heaviest rains taking place," Lee said.

Snow levels could drop as low as 2,000 feet. One to three inches of snow are possible, creating hazardous driving conditions on mountain roads and through the passes, including on the 5 Freeway through the Grapevine. The San Gabriel Mountains could get up to five inches of snow.

A winter weather advisory is in effect through noon Wednesday for the Los Angeles County mountains and foothills, excluding the Santa Monica Range, along with the Ventura County mountains.

A winter storm warning is in place from 4 p.m. Tuesday to noon Wednesday for the San Bernardino County Mountains, including the communities of Wrightwood and Big Bear City, along with the Santa Ana Mountains and foothills in Orange County.