Rain showers should begin spreading south across Santa Barbara County on Tuesday evening, as the first of two late-season storms makes its way into the Central Coast.

Forecasters are calling for a 100 percent chance of rain Tuesday night, diminishing to 60 percent by Wednesday morning.

North County communities should see showers beginning late Tuesday afternoon, with rainfall reaching the South Coast by about 8 p.m., according to Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. A second storm is expected to hit Thursday night into Friday.

“These will be good storms for April, and we definitely need the rain,” Kittell said.

The heaviest rain is expected between 6 p.m. and midnight north of Point Conception, and between midnight and 8 a.m. on the South Coast.

Rainfall amounts should be modest, Kittell said, with the first storm dropping a half-inch to an inch in most locations. Amounts from the second storm should be about half that, he added.

Daytime highs the next few days should be in the low 60s with overnight lows in the 40s. Winds may be gusty at times.

Clear skies should return by the weekend, Kittell said, but conditions are expected to remain cool and windy.

— Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.