After a clear and cool Christmas Day, rain has returned to the Bay Area: Expect 1 to 2 inches of rain between Thursday and Sunday, along with more high surf.

The Bay Area is getting a one-day reprieve from the stormy weather this week and it appears that the skies will clear just in time for Christmas morning.

The rain that began Monday night in the Bay Area is expected to end before noon on Christmas Eve. The updating radar map above shows current areas of precipitation in green, with greater intensities indicated by yellow and orange.

Life-threatening high surf conditions and coastal flooding should continue into Christmas Day, though the holiday is forecast to be rain-free, the weather service said. A high surf warning is in effect for the Pacific coast through Tuesday at 6 p.m., and the coastal flood warning is in effect for the same area until noon.

Multiple rain systems are headed toward that Bay Area and Central Coast beginning this weekend, according to the National Weather Service. The storms are due to begin arriving right in the midst of the busy holiday travel season.

Forecasters expect four back-to-back storms to hit the Bay Area starting Saturday, with more significant rainfall starting early next week before a Christmas reprieve.

We are at a level 2 storm in the Bay Area this Christmas Eve morning, but it will be dry later and for the holidays. Here's a timeline: