Rainy days and Mondays - one of each in Modesto today

MODESTO -- The work week is starting out on a wet note for many in the Northern San Joaquin Valley, and the rain is likely to continue through the day.

Following morning fog, rain is expected on and off all day today, and the system could drop about a quarter of an inch in the area, forecasters say. Tuesday is expected to be mostly cloudy, with a slight chance of rain. Highs will be in the low 50s with lows in the 30s.

The same system is expected to bring heavy snow to the northern Sierra Nevada, the National Weather Service says.

Wednesday will be overcast, with the likelihood of rain returning Thursday and continuing into the weekend. Some good news ahead: a peek into the extended forecast shows clear, though cold conditions Monday night. If that forecast holds, it should make for smooth traveling for a certain jolly old elf.