Winter rain will return this week after a relatively quiet and dry spell, and a chilly storm hitting the Bay on Wednesday into Thursday will bring fairly heavy rain at times, and snow in Humboldt County and the Sierra.

Expect some light rain and another cold snap to move in Monday night and into Tuesday, as National Weather Service meteorologist Matt Mehle tells the Chronicle. But the serious rain this week will arrive late Wednesday with "whipping winds" and frigid temperatures. Parts of the North Bay are expected to see up to 2 inches of rainfall with this weather system, with coastal mountains seeing up to 3 inches.

Snow is likely in Redding and points north, and a winter storm watch is going into effect in the Sierra. ABC 7 says that the heaviest rain will come early Thursday.

The storm hitting midweek is currently up in Alaska, as SFGate reports, and ahead of it will be an increase in cold winds around the Bay. We're looking at daytime highs in the 50s and nighttime lows in the 30s and 40s. Also, rain is expected to be heavy on Wednesday night, but rain showers should linger through Thursday.

At the moment, the warmest day of the coming week will be Sunday, with temperatures likely not hitting 60 until then.