A lingering moist air mass is expected to bring light but steady showers over Santa Barbara County through Wednesday.

The rain will likely slow down on Thursday, but another storm is expected to arrive on Friday, according to Todd Hall, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

Hall said the storm should pick up in intensity early in the week with the most significant rain expected Monday and Tuesday afternoons. He expects 1 to 2 inches of rain near the coast and 2 to 4 inches in the mountains.

The rain is coming from the Gulf of Alaska.

Hall said people should expect minor mud and debris flows near burn areas recently damaged by fires. 

High temperatures throughout the week are expected to reach the low 60s, while lows most likely will be in the low 50s. 

An expected drop in temperature in the inland areas could bring snowfall as low as 3,000 feet and impact roads and highways, including the Grapeine on Interstate 5. 

Rain typically affects traffic on the roads, but with so many events canceled and people staying home because of the coronavirus, the week of rain might come as a welcome distraction to the coronvirus concerns.

Before the recent rains, the city had received about 42 percent of the normal amount of rain far this water year, which began Oct. 1, 2019.

With less than two months left in the rainy season, Santa Barbara has enough water to last through 2022. 

Lake Cachuma is 70 percent full. The city relies on water from Lake Cachuma, the State Water Project, Gibraltar Reservoir, desalinated water, recycled water and some groundwater. The city is trying to use sources other than groundwater to allow the groundwater basins to recharge. 

— Noozhawk staff writer Joshua Molina can be reached at jmolina@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.