By Jim Purpura. Posted December 9, 2011, 1:47 PM.

It looks like southern California weather is about to see a pattern shift for the next one to two weeks...from a cool, dry pattern to a stormy, cool, wet one.

The winds aloft are beginning to shift to more northwesterly, and this will set the stage for at least two wintry storm systems to affect the area.

This first will move into the area late Sunday, and stay around through Tuesday before moving off to the east. This storm looks to bring waves of showers and thunderstorms to the Inland Empire through Tuesday. Right now, it looks like the heaviest rainfall...and snow in the mountains...will be on Monday.

Expect rainfall totals from this storm to be a 1/2 to 1 inch across western Riverside and southwest San Bernardino Counties, 1 to 2 inches in the mountains below 4000 feet and snow above that level. Snowfall may be as high as 12 inches above 6000 feet.

There will be a brief break in the weather on Wednesday, then a second storm system beginning Wednesday evening through Friday. Some computer models are indicating possible a third system next weekend as well.

Be sure to check back with WeatherCurrents for updates on this developing winter weather system.