Bay Area weather: Rain and snow are on the way

OAKLAND, Calif. - Ho, ho, ho!

With Christmas just 17 days away, the Bay Area is getting rain as an early holiday present.

KTVU meteorologist Steve Paulson said light precipitation should fall late Wednesday into early Thursday. 

The National Weather Service said that about .1 of an inch is expected to fall in the Bay Area with the higher totals, like. 25 of an inch, hitting the Central Coast. 

A winter weather advisory is issued Thursday for the Sierra. 

The main system will hit, however, on Sunday into Monday and Tuesday with more wet weather and cold temperatures. 

The news is welcome to drought-stricken Californians and especially ski resort operators, who had been forced to delay the opening of ski season. 

After briefly opening in October when the atmospheric river brought rain to coast and snow to the Sierra, the warmth of the last few weeks has forced a delay in resort openings.