Should we now say “April flowers bring May showers?”

It seems that the familiar saying has gotten turned around in Santa Barbara County this year.

Residents and visitors have spent much of April reveling in super blooms of wildflowers that resulted from copious rainfall. But now forecasters say the month of May, which begins Monday, will start out with a cold and rainy week.

Virtually all forecast models “have precipitation developing across the region between Tuesday and Wednesday,” according to the forecast discussion from the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

There is a 20% chance of rain late Monday, increasing to 40% on Tuesday and 60% on Wednesday, with showers lingering into Thursday.

The unseasonably cold weather system also will bring a chance of thunderstorms, with snow possible at higher elevations.

Rainfall totals through the week should be on the light side — one-third to two-thirds of an inch across the coast and inland valleys, with up to 1¼ inches in the foothills and mountains.

As of Friday, Santa Barbara County had received 201% of its average rainfall to date for the rain season that began Sept. 1.

Daytime highs are expected to only reach the mid- to upper 50s, with overnight lows in the mid-40s.

Sunny skies should return to the region Friday.

Click here for the latest forecast from the National Weather Service.