San Francisco and the Bay Area are in for some light rain Friday as a weak new cold front moves in from Alaska, but then we're looking at an extended dry period, which isn't great news for anyone starting ski leases up in Tahoe.

The cold front moves in Friday, with light rain forecast not to exceed a quarter of an inch, as Bay Area News Group reports via the National Weather Service. The wetness should fade by late afternoon or early evening.

The good news for the non-skiers among us is that we will be experiencing dry, mild January days for a couple of weeks, according to the National Climate Prediction Center. As the Chronicle explains, there aren't any other storms on the horizon for a bit, which means that the exceptional amount of snow that the Sierra saw in December will get balanced out by an a-typically dry first half of January.

"Although the statewide snowpack was 166% of normal on Dec. 30, a dry January would push the season-to-date snowpack much closer to normal," the Chronicle reports.

There is also a 60% chance of above-average temperatures across California the next couple of weeks, according to the Climate Prediction Center.

Meanwhile, the next few days could bring some big swells to the beaches, and potential for more hazardous beach conditions, which are more typical for early January.

"A long period westerly to northwesterly swell will arrive along the West Coast late in the week and early next week possibly resulting in the need for High Surf Advisories," says the National Weather Service in an announcement.

Following that announcement, just such a High Surf Advisory arrived in the last hour from the weather service, putting the entire NorCal coast, with the acception of Monterey Bay, under the advisory. They warn of "dangerous swimming and surfing conditions," as well as localized beach erosion and the potential for sneaker waves.

Photo: Antonio Gabola