California set for a soaking from top to bottom

A one-two punch of wet and winterlike weather will target the Golden State this weekend, helping to chip away at the snowfall deficit in place across the Sierra. While the latter half of January and all of February featured nearly bone-dry conditions across California, a series of late-season events has helped to minimize concerns for the dry season ahead.

Courtesy of a southern shift in the storm track, a wetter-than-normal March across California has brought the average snow water equivalent statewide above 50% compared to average for April 1.

Into the month of April, the average amount of rain and snow that falls across many cities in California begins to decline rapidly as the dry season approaches. San Francisco averages 2.96 inches of rain during a typical March, while April averages less than half of that at 1.29 inches respectively.

San Francisco and many other cities across Northern and Central California may be able to accumulate more than half of their monthly average precipitation as two waves of moisture target the state beginning Saturday.

The first wave of energy will likely track ashore near the California and Oregon border by sunrise on Saturday. Along with periods of rain throughout most of the day in Crescent City, California, a gusty wind will also kick up surf on the Pacific Ocean.

The high terrain of Northern California will also begin to feel the effects of the first wave of energy early on Saturday. Mount Shasta, Lake Tahoe and all of the high terrain in-between could face winter storm conditions during the daytime.

"Rain will fall from Sacramento to San Francisco and points north from the first area of low pressure during the day on Saturday. Initially, snow levels will between about 5,000 and 6,000 feet in Northern and Central California," AccuWeather Meteorologist Ryan Adamson said.

Travel delays or restrictions will be possible across Northern California's passes and secondary roads, so be advised if your planned travels take you in that direction.

The first storm system will move in and out rather quickly, as it is expected to eject eastward into the Great Basin and eventually into the High Plains by Sunday. There will be limited if any dry time, however, as a second, more powerful storm system is expected to slam into the West Coast on Sunday.

Unlike the first round of wet weather, the second storm system is expected to bring wet weather statewide as it tracks inland.

Rain and mountain snow will continue to target Northern California during the day on Sunday, piling up on top of what tracked through during the day on Saturday.

"Snow levels will lower slightly on Sunday and rainfall and snowfall will become more widespread across the state. As the main pocket of cold air aloft comes ashore, heavy snow will fall across much of the Sierra, and this will help to make up some of the deficit left by the record-dry February," Adamson added.

Across the northern and central Sierra, snow will likely be measured in feet.

Many valley cities could receive more than half of their monthly average rainfall from this event this weekend. Redding, Ukiah, Sacramento and Fresno, California, are just a few cities that may achieve that feat.

Southern California will also get in on the action from the second storm system as it comes ashore. Saturday will feature dry conditions across the Los Angeles Basin, but wet weather arrive on Sunday.

Although traffic levels are at a minimum due to the current COVID-19 stay-at-home orders in place, Mother Nature could make travel hazardous for the few essential workers that need to venture out.

The steadiest and heaviest of wet weather across Southern California will push ashore Sunday night into Monday morning.

Many of the coastal valleys could receive between a half inch and an inch of rainfall. As moisture rides up the mountains of Southern California, rainfall totals of 1-3 inches are possible with an AccuWeather Local StormMax of 5 inches anticipated.

During the heaviest waves of rainfall, localized flash flooding is possible.

Enough cold air is expected to reside within the core of the storm system to drop snow levels below 5,000 feet Sunday night into Monday morning, possibly bringing some wet snowflakes to Interstate 5 over the Grapevine.

It is possible that the storm system ends up getting cutoff from the fast jet stream winds early next week, causing the storm to slow down as it begins to track into the Desert Southwest. It is also possible that the entire Southern California coast from Santa Maria to San Diego could face wet weather on Monday.

The weather pattern looks conducive for unsettled conditions and below-average temperatures across much of California and part of the Southwest into the middle of next week.

Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.