After a gusty Wednesday with increasing clouds and periods of sunshine during the afternoon, attention turns to a storm system set to arrive late tonight into early Thursday morning across Long Island.

A cold front moving through the region will bring the chance for heavy downpours and a few thunderstorms overnight as a squall line sweeps across the Island. The highest impact timeframe is expected between midnight and 7 a.m. Thursday morning. This could lead to reduced visibility, ponding on roads and a few travel slowdowns for the Thursday morning commute.

While the steadiest rain exits by early Thursday morning, clouds are expected to linger through much of the day with occasional breaks of sunshine developing at times. A few spotty rain showers and perhaps an isolated thunderstorm remain possible Thursday afternoon, but it will not be a washout. Keeping the umbrella nearby is still a good idea.

Another round of scattered showers may develop Friday morning before conditions begin to improve later in the day.

Looking ahead to the weekend, the forecast turns much more favorable with drier, warmer and sunnier weather expected across Long Island. High temperatures will climb through the 70s and could even approach the 80s in some spots, setting the stage for what may be the nicest weekend on the Island so far this year.

Be sure to get outside and enjoy the beautiful stretch of weather.