Get out your galoshes and umbrellas: it's shaping up to be a wet week ahead, starting this evening when a rainstorm sweeps in behind a cold front that'll be snapping through. 

The National Weather Service is predicting that San Francisco, Oakland, and their environs will see an inch to two inches of rain between this evening and Saturday morning. Things won't get dry again until Sunday. 

The good news is that the raindrops might help break the big chill that's settled on the city in recent weeks. “Once the rain starts to move in to the area, the cold air will get pushed out and it will start warming up a little bit," NWS forecaster Steve Anderson told the Chronicle. 

The chilly forecast for today (Wednesday) is a high of just 50 degrees in San Francisco, and 51 in the East Bay. But as we go into the weekend, temperatures will rise, with a likelihood of hitting the high 50s by Sunday. 

As always in the drought-stricken Bay Area, rain is Big News. But if you're smart, you'll save your scoffing until after you've fully appreciated this opportunity to watch Purple Rain on loop and perfect the bourbon-to-brandy ratio in your eggnog recipe (we like 3:1).  

It's also good news for those licking their chops for snow in Tahoe: accumulations of one to three feet are expected at elevations above 8,000 feet. On the ground, it'll be more like freezing rain, so be sure to dress warmly before you hit the lift.

As for the brave surfers out there, remember that San Francisco is the only city on the West Coast with a combined sewer overflow. A heavy rain can not only back up your home sewer, but also the municipal wastewater lines through waste treatment facilities—including the one on Ocean Beach. Check beach reports before diving in.