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The Bay Area is in for the coldest temperatures of the season Monday as rain and even some snow will hit the East Bay for the start of the week, according to the National Weather Service.

Most Bay Area locations will see temperatures only reaching into the low-to-mid 40s as the region sees its first significant storm since October. Rain is expected to last throughout the day, with a 20 percent chance of showers Tuesday and Wednesday.

Forecasters say snow levels will fall to as low as 500 feet in the North Bay and 1,500 feet on the central coast. Local peaks could get a dusting of the white stuff.

In addition, a cold air mass traveling down from Canada that will be moving into the Bay Area has prompted the National Weather Service to issue a freeze watch for the region’s inland valleys and mountains in the North Bay. Overnight temperatures will fall into the mid-to-upper 20s for several hours, and could kill crops and other plants.

With rain expected on-and-off at least through Thursday, the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Department and the Alameda County Fire Department are providing free sand and sandbags for residents. People must bring their own shovels to fill the sandbags, and be able to transport the filled bags themselves.

Sandbags are available at the following locations in Contra Costa County: