This winter's unseasonably warm and sunny conditions will give way at least briefly this weekend, as a quick-moving storm is expected to spritz parts of California on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service in Sacramento.

The Pacific system will bring up to a half-inch of rain to the northern Sacramento Valley and lighter amounts elsewhere and as much as 8 inches of snow at high elevations, the weather service predicts.

Snow levels should begin at 4,000 to 5,000 feet, with 4 to 8 inches accumulating at the passes, prompting chain controls, the agency warns.

Another system will pass mainly south of Sacramento on Tuesday, with a few light showers possible south of Interstate 80.

The federal Climate Prediction Center forecasts above-average chances of precipitation in Central and Southern California over the next month, with cooler temperatures throughout the West over the next two weeks.

Any precipitation will help, as the U.S. Drought Outlook expects drought conditions to develop or persist in much of the state over the next three months.