Rain and snow moving through Southern California

Winter paid one more visit to Southern California on Monday as a second late-season storm strolled in ahead of the spring equinox.

The cold front was bringing light rain to Los Angeles and Orange counties and snow to the mountains, with snow levels dropping to 3,000 feet there.

Showers are expected to wind down by noon and clear by nightfall before dry weather returns for the rest of the week, forecasters with the National Weather Service said.

A wind advisory is in effect in Orange County from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, with winds ranging from 10 to 20 mph and gusts up to 35 mph.

Joe Sirard, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Oxnard, said strong winds are expected throughout the day from the coast to downtown Los Angeles, with gusts up to 50 mph.

“The closer to the coast, the more apt you’ll be to get these winds,” Sirard said. “It’s a fast-moving cold front with a lot of cold air behind it. With that cold air, it’s going to have strong winds.”

The system is expected to bring some snow to mountain ranges in Los Angeles and Ventura counties. A winter weather advisory in effect until 9 a.m. Tuesday predicts light to moderate snow, accumulating up to 6 inches, meteorologists said. Wind gusts could reach 55 mph.

The snowfall could make for hazardous driving conditions along the 5 Freeway over the Grapevine, Angeles Crest Highway, Highway 33 and Lockwood Valley Road, forecasters warned.

City News Service contributed to this report.