Up to 4 inches of rain possible through Friday

The National Weather Service in Paducah is watching the approach of a weather system that could dump 3 to 4 inches of rain on the lower Ohio Valley, especially Thursday night and Friday.

After a pleasant Tuesday, a chance of rain returns on Wednesday. By Thursday afternoon, thunderstorms will settle in to more of the region, along with winds over 20 miles per hour.

Thursday night, breezy thunderstorms could bring heavy rains and gusts over 35 miles per hour. Storms are not expected to reach severe levels.

Rain is expected to continue Friday morning. Wind gusts of 45 mph after the rain will drop temperatures into the 50s for the beginning of the weekend. Weekend lows will be in the 30s.

No watches or warnings have been issued yet, but already saturated ground will help to cause runoff and possible flooding concerns during and after the heavy rain.