One to two inches of rain coming to LI

A high-pressure storm system that gave us clear skies was expected to move off the Atlantic coast, opening the door for a strong, slow-moving, low-pressure system that could spill 1 to 2 inches of rain Thursday night into Friday, forecasters at the National Weather Service said.

The forecast Wednesday night was less dire than earlier reports that predicted up to 3 inches of rain through Friday.

Rain was expected to start late Wednesday night, but National Weather Service meteorologist Lauren Nash said the rain would continue on and off Thursday before the storm picks up in intensity Thursday night and continues through Friday.

She said temperatures Thursday should peak in the upper 40s, while Friday could reach the lower 50s.

The system is expected to be slow-moving, forecasters said. That will lend itself to higher rainfall totals.

Officials warned heavy rain could result in flooding in flood-prone areas and could also cause issues in historically poor runoff areas.