Rain (at long last!) arrives overnight tonight and could bring a quick inch or two to much of the tri-state by sunrise Thursday. Light showers will linger through the rest of the week, but the big news will be the heavy rain Thursday morning. Most of the area will see 1-3″, but some areas at higher elevations north and west of the city will see snow. How much rain will New York City get? From late Wednesday night into Friday, the New York City metro area could get two to three inches of rain, will areas further east and southwest getting a half of an inch to two inches. The rain will fall heavy enough at times, combined with tons of leaves capable or easily clogging drains, that drivers will need to keep an eye on the impact on road conditions for the Thursday morning commute. A coastal flood advisory is in place for southern Westchester and Fairfield counties, along with Nassau and Suffolk counties through Friday afternoon. When will the rain start? The rain will start late Wednesday night but really pick up in time for the morning commute on Thursday. Timeline of the rain in New York City The rain will start late Wednesday night and pick up after midnight Thursday morning. The heaviest rain comes through the city between 2 and 7 a.m. All the rain should taper to lighter showers by midday. A low off the coast will keep showers lingering into later Friday. Friday is gross – drizzly, breezy and much colder. The weekend looks pretty quiet and it should stay that way in the run up to Thanksgiving.