Nor’easter will pack strong winds and rain on Wednesday

By Melissa M. Werthmann, Globe Correspondent

Another round of severe weather will threaten the Bay State with heavy precipitation and strong winds Wednesday into Thursday, but it will not rival the effects of Hurricane Sandy, according to the National Weather Service.

“While it’s still expected to pack a punch ... it’s going to be far less substantial,” said meteorologist Nicole Belk.

The storm is a “typical nor’easter” with gusty winds, heavy rain, and high seas, Belk said in a telephone interview from the National Weather Service office in Taunton.

The rain will start moving into the Boston area during the morning hours of Wednesday and will be at its heaviest by Wednesday afternoon, she said.

The city will see one to two inches of rain, Belk said.

“We could see some poor drainage issues, but we’re not expecting significant flooding,” Belk said.

Inland areas west of the Interstate 95 corridor and parts of the state with higher elevation could see the first snowfall of the season, Belk said.

“We will have some light snow accumulations,” she said.

Areas near the Worcester hills or New Hampshire’s Mount Monadnock can expect one to two inches of wet snow, Belk said.

The storm is currently off the coast of the Carolinas and will bring gusty winds and storm surges to Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

A high wind watch is in effect for eastern Massachusetts from Wednesday morning through Wednesday night, according to the weather service.

Bay Staters can expect winds of 25 to 35 miles per hour with gusts as strong as 65 miles per hour.

The winds could knock down large tree limbs and power lines and damage property, the weather service reported.

Strong winds, paired with large offshore waves, will likely cause minor flooding and beach erosion along the eastern coastline.

“Astronomical tides are low this week, so that’s a benefit,” Belk said.

Storm surges will be one to two feet high along the southern coast and east-facing beaches will see surges two to three feet high, she said.

While Wednesday’s weather will not be as devastating as Hurricane Sandy, there is much concern about locations that are still vulnerable from last week’s storm, Belk said.

People in New Jersey and New York picking up the pieces from Sandy will have to brace for the nor’easter on Wednesday, she said.

The weather service issued a coastal flood watch and a high wind warning for much of the two states, including Staten Island, N.Y., and communities along the Jersey Shore.

The storm will move offshore by Friday, making way for a sunny and dry Veterans Day weekend.

“By Friday morning, the vast majority of the precipitation should have cleared east of our area,” Belk said.