A big storm is sweeping into Southern California today and it will bring rain, mountain snow and gusty winds that will last through Wednesday. The wet weather is a welcome sight for the drought-parched region, but mountain communities could potentially see flash flooding.

The cold air system is blowing down from the North Pole, sweeping along the northwestern U.S. and will start hitting SoCal by late Sunday night or Monday morning.

Monday will see moderate rain and some snow in the mountains, but Tuesday should be the heaviest day of rain and snow. Flash flood warnings have been issued for mountain areas, especially parts of Orange County left scarred by the Bond and Silverado fires.

On Monday the Los Angeles and Orange county areas will see moderate rain and wind, with a high of 63 degrees. By Tuesday – Election Day, about 1-2 inches are expected to fall. The rain will continue Wednesday morning and then should taper off by the afternoon.

The valleys and Inland Empire can expect rain and a high of 64 on Monday, followed by as much as three inches of rain on Tuesday.

Beaches will see rain and a high of 63 on Monday and 1-2 inches of rain on Tuesday.

Mountains will see a high of 48, with some snow falling above 7,500 feet. On Tuesday, the snow level will drop to 6,500 feet and up to a foot of snow could fall. It will be cold in mountain communities at night, dropping below freezing.

Deserts will see a high of 59 on Monday with some rain, followed by 1-3 inches of rain on Tuesday.