The Latest: Southern California rain forecast downgraded

LOS ANGELES – The Latest on Southern California’s winter of below-normal rainfall (all times local):

1:48 p.m.

The National Weather Service has downgraded the amount of rain expected in Southern California from a low-pressure system.

Widely scattered sprinkles fell early Monday, along with a light frosting of snow in the mountains, but the system is weaker than expected.

Predicted rainfall totals have been dropped to under a tenth of an inch (0.25 centimetre) in most areas and up to a quarter inch (0.64 centimetre) in the foothills and mountains.

Southern California is running well behind average rainfall and the region is in drought status.

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7:24 a.m.

Southern California weather has done an about-face, with scattered showers and mountain snow replacing dry, gusty winds and unseasonably warm temperatures.

The National Weather Service says the wet and much cooler conditions will persist from Monday through midweek.

Forecasters say high temperatures will be anywhere from 10 degrees to 25 degrees cooler than Sunday’s highs and highest rainfall totals will range from a quarter inch to a half inch (0.64 centimetre to 1.27 centimetre).

In Santa Barbara County, officials are monitoring the system but do not anticipate a need for evacuations in areas at risk for debris flows like the one that hit Montecito last month.

Despite that deluge, Southern California is seeing drought conditions with rainfall totals well below normal.