Weather service forecasts wet, chilly Christmas

Christmas Day will be wet and cool in the Bay Area, with widespread rain descending on the region Tuesday night and into Wednesday, according to a forecast from the National Weather Service.

The bulk of the system will bring showers to the region late Tuesday, with rain expected in the North Bay starting at about 10 p.m.

The rain will then gradually move south over the entire Bay Area overnight and into Christmas morning.

The threat of showers will linger throughout the day Wednesday, but there could be a break as a dry period takes hold before the next system slides into the region in the afternoon.

Daytime temperatures are likely to top out in the 50s, and many areas will experience overnight lows in the 30s and 40s.

While high winds are not expected for the next few days, there is an increased risk of sneaker waves, rip currents and large shore breaks along the coast from Sonoma County to Monterey County, including Ocean Beach, Montara State Beach and Marina State Beach.