New Jersey will get a good soaking of rain starting Wednesday night that will put a dent in the drought conditions the state is experiencing after about six weeks.

North Jersey and the northern parts of Central Jersey are expected to receive 2 to 3 inches of rain by Friday with lesser amounts in the south, forecasters say.

The southern most part of the state will wind up with a half-inch to an inch of rain.

A dusting of snow is also likely in northwestern parts of the state on Thursday night into Friday, though little-to-no accumulation is expected.

Rain pushes in after 10 p.m. Wednesday following a dry day with temperatures climbing into the upper 50s and low 60s, the National Weather Service said.

Winds will gust as high as 20 to 30 mph and forecasters say 1 to 2 inches of rain is expected from the initial round by Thursday morning in northern areas with a half-inch to an inch of rain likely elsewhere.

Another quarter-inch to three-quarters of inch of rain is expected to fall during the day on Thursday in areas along and north of the Interstate 78 corridor.

Some additional rain is also likely in Central Jersey but South Jersey might not get any more rain, though, as drier air pushes into that part of the state.

Thursday will be a cooler day with mostly cloudy skies and a good chance of more rain with highs generally ranging from the upper 40s to low 50s. A cold night follows with temperatures plunging into the 30s.

Friday will be a “chilly, raw” day with showers likely and gusty winds of up to 25 mpg, the weather service said in its morning forecast discussion.

Highs will only reach the 40s before dipping into the 30s at night.

We warm up and dry out on Saturday. There will be a mix of sun and clouds with high temps in the low 50s, though gusty winds will make it feel chillier.

Sunday, Monday and Tuesday also are shaping up to be dry, sunny days with highs in the 50s.

Current weather radar

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Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.

NEW YORK — It has been historically dry across the Tri-State Area this fall, but the atmosphere is shifting into a new pattern that will bring much-needed rain late Wednesday into Thursday.

The CBS News New York First Alert Weather Team has issued a Red Alert for Thursday, especially the early morning hours.

This storm will help the ongoing drought situation immensely, and the early call is we could have more beneficial rain on the horizon next week.

Rain timeline for New York, New Jersey

Wednesday 10 p.m. – Thursday 4 a.m.: A few leading rounds of rain arrive and winds pick up. Rain is more widespread after midnight.

Thursday 4-10 a.m.: The heaviest bands of rain arrive, and strong winds reaching 25-35 mph kick in.

Thursday 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.: Rain moves north and becomes more on-and-off in nature from New York City and points south, with steadier bouts spilling north of the city. Winds start to shift to the north, and it will feel like the 30s by the Thursday evening commute. Lighter rain will continue to fall.

Thursday 10 p.m. – Friday 10 a.m.: Cold air funnels down and turns the cold rain to wet flakes mainly at higher elevations. The Friday morning commute will have an impact if this forecasting element holds.

Friday 10 a.m.: Precipitation starts to taper off. Winds will be lighter, but it will still be an uncomfortable-feeling day given we’ve had weeks of sunny, dry and mild weather.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy and brisk with a gusty breeze and temperatures around 50 degrees.

How much rain and snow will fall in New York and New Jersey?

Rain: Numbers across the Tri-State Area range from .75-3 inches. Some heavy bouts are likely, especially for the Thursday morning commute. Ponding on roads is possible. Since we’ve been so dry, the ground might not soak up the rain very well and trigger some runoff.

Snow: Catskills and Poconos, even Mountain Creek in New Jersey could see some accumulation. A few slushy inches are possible, even wet flakes are possible around the city. Nothing would really stick, but it would make Friday morning travel tougher, especially since most are out of winter driving practice.