It might snow in San Francisco -- and here

Anyone thinking an early spring had sprung should put away the shorts and keep the ski boots handy. The cold is here to stay this week.

In fact, it could be so wet and chilly that it may even snow at elevations as low as 1,000 feet, forecasters said Monday.

After a sunny, warm stretch early this month, another cold system is bearing down on Sonoma County, bringing with it more frigid air from the Gulf of Alaska, said meteorologist Austin Cross of the National Weather Service in Monterey.

After last week's rain and light snow, the North Coast will have a short dry break early this week, but the moisture will return by Thursday with snow by the end of the week.

"It looks like it will be a pretty cold system with snow again at the higher peaks in the area and possibly in lower elevations than last time," he said.

How low?

"One of our forecasters is saying the snow level could go so low we could possibly see snow in downtown San Francisco, which hasn't happened since 1976," Cross said.

Perhaps as a precursor, Saturday's high of 44 degrees in San Francisco was a record low maximum temperature for the date.

San Francisco's City Hall sits at an elevation of about 60 feet. In comparison, downtown Santa Rosa's elevation is about 160 feet.

Cross said Sonoma County's days and nights both will be cold leading up to the storm. Highs will be in the 40s in most cities, with overnight lows in the low 30s.

The early part of the week will be crisp and mostly dry, he said, with rain returning by Thursday.

"It looks like it will be comparable to what we got the last time around," he said. "It won't be as long, though, probably over just a couple of days."

The North Bay could get 1 to 3 inches of rain.

Rural PG&E Co. customers who lost power because of storms last week in Mendocino and Lake counties were expected to have their electricity restored by late Monday night. Crews were on standby in case further problems arise, PG&E spokesman J.G. Guidi said.

This month's brief warm stint may have put some backyard gardeners in the mood to plant summer vegetables but don't get too excited yet, cautioned Fred King of King's Nursery in Santa Rosa.

"In real terms, these tempests in teapots happen every year," he said. "I've seen tomatoes advertised that no one would even want to consider."

Your pansies and daffodils should do just fine, he said, although they and almond, plum and peach blossoms could get a little battered by heavy rain.

While it's too early to plant tomatoes, peppers and other summer veggies, lots of other things can be started, King said.

"Lettuce and chards are available in plants. There is tons of stuff you can do. But you've got to pick the things that aren't going to be fazed," he said. "Just be glad we're not in Duluth, Minnesota"

Tuesday's forecast calls for mostly sunny with a high of around 58 and a low tonight around freezing. Wednesday should be around 56 degrees with an overnight low of 34.

There is a 50 percent chance of rain Thursday, with a high near 50 and a low of 33.

Friday through Sunday will bring a chance of showers again, with daytime highs in the high 40s to low 50s and lows hovering around freezing.

The average high temperature for this week is 63 degrees, according to Press Democrat weather archive data that goes back to 1931. The average low is 40 degrees.

Those looking to get another ski weekend in may be in luck, although bundling up will be a requirement.

In South Lake Tahoe, the warmest day for the week will be Tuesday, where the high will reach a peak of 38 degrees. Overnight lows will range from a minus-4 expected Monday night to 22 on Tuesday. Saturday and Sunday are expected to be snowy with highs around 32 and lows around 0.

You can reach Staff Writer Lori Carter at 762-7297 or lori.carter@pressdemocrat.com.