(NEW YORK) -- Flood watches are in effect from New Jersey to Maine -- including New York City and Boston -- as heavy rain deluges the Northeast on Wednesday.
The rain will get heavier throughout the afternoon and will impact a large swath of the Interstate 95 corridor during the evening commute.
The rain will mostly subside by midnight, with some areas of heavy rain lingering in New England Thursday morning.
The Northeast will get a break from the rough weather on Thursday and Friday before a new storm moves in Friday night, bringing more heavy rain through Sunday morning.
Cold air moving in behind the storm will change rain to snow by Sunday morning along the eastern Great Lakes and into northern New England. Several inches of snow could accumulate in the higher elevations.
Meanwhile, the South is bracing for storms Thursday and Friday.
Portions of the southern Plains, including much of Texas, could face severe thunderstorms with damaging wind gusts and large hail. Flash flooding is also possible.
On Friday, the storm will shift east, reaching New Orleans; Jackson, Mississippi; and Mobile, Alabama.