UPDATE THURSDAY AFTERNOON: Wind advisory issued for most of N.J., with 50 mph gusts possible on Friday

Another round of wet weather awaits New Jersey as up to 3 inches of rain could fall in spots by Friday and be accompanied by winds gusts of up to 45 mph.

The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch starting at 1 p.m. Thursday through Friday afternoon for the following 14 counties: Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Camden, Cumberland, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Salem and Somerset.

The northern half of the state can expect 1 to 1.5 inches of rain, with most of the southern half getting 1.5 to 2 inches. Cape May County and coastal areas of Atlantic County, however, might receive 2 to 3 inches of rain, the weather service says.

In general, areas east of I-95 will get the most rain. Rain will be heavy at times, but at minimum there will be a steady drizzle most of the day.

Forecasters also say to watch out for ponding of water on roads as well as flooding roads in urban areas and spots with poor drainage this evening. By Thursday night, smaller creeks and streams might flood. On Friday and Saturday, some spots in the Raritan, Passaic, and Delaware river basins might reach minor flood stage, the weather service said.

Gusty winds that could reach 45 mph will decrease Friday evening as temperatures plunge into the 20s overnight into Saturday.

Meanwhile, freezing rain in northwestern New Jersey will end later this morning as temperatures climb above freezing. A winter weather advisory for Sussex and western Passaic counties expires at 10 a.m. Roads in those areas remain slippery due to light icing. Schools in West Milford will have a delayed opening on Thursday

Temperatures across much of the state will reach the upper 40s and low 50s on Thursday and Friday.

There are no major storm threats on what should be a mainly dry weekend, but temps will be considerably cooler- in the upper 30s and low 40s.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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