Showers Are on the Way to Rancho Santa Margarita

So long, sweet sunshine.

Up to three-quarters of an inch of rain is expected to fall this week as a “moderately-cold storm” moves through area beginning late Tuesday night.

The National Weather Service says to expect a few periods of moderate rainfall Wednesday. Thursday will be mainly dry, but Friday will be wet through Saturday—that's when rainfall will be the heaviest.

In Rancho Santa Margarita, there is a 40 percent chance of rain tonight and 90 percent chance on Wednesday. Daytime temperatures will hover in the mid-50s, with lows dropping to 41 degrees tonight and 45 degrees Wednesday.

The Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather statement, cautioning Southern California residents of strong, gusty winds Wednesday afternoon and evening in the passes and mountains, where snow is expected to fall as low as 4,000 feet.

So far this season, 13.44 inches of rain has fallen at the Weather Service’s gauge at John Wayne Airport in Costa Mesa, that’s 2 inches more than last year, and nearly double the amount that fell in 2009.

This week’s rain could help tip the scales to more than 170 percent of what’s normal for this time of year.