Updated

Meteorologists say a pair of storms could dump several inches of rain on parched cities and croplands throughout California in the coming week.

That's welcome news for a state that has just endured its driest year in recorded history.

While the rain won't be enough to end the drought, the National Weather Service projects the much-needed precipitation could nearly double the amount of rainfall in parts of the San Francisco Bay Area this year.

By Saturday, twin Pacific storms are expected to bring as much as 2 inches of rain to the coast and several feet of snow to the Sierra.

The first storm on Wednesday won't offer much relief, just light overnight rains heading into Thursday. By Friday, radar images show the second storm should drench the entire state for 24 hours.