First Alert Weather: Red Alert for Wednesday storms

The CBS2 First Alert Weather Team has issued a Red Alert for 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday.

The main threat will be gusty winds that could down some tree limbs or power lines. Rainfall amounts are not huge -- a quarter of an inch to 1 inch, maybe a little more in a thunderstorm. Temps will also swing dramatically from Wednesday afternoon to Thursday morning.

TIMING

4-8 a.m.: No worries yet. Cloudy, some miler temps creeping in. Perhaps an early sprinkle or ice pellet (Catskills) if the precipitation speeds up.

8-11 a.m.: Rain fills in from west to east, and closer to 11 a.m. for New York City. Wind Advisory goes into effect at 11 a.m.

11 a.m. - 4 p.m.: The worst of the rain. Could see ponding on roads, and the winds will get gusty, 25-40 mph. Temps spike to near 60 degrees.

4-8 p.m.: The entire system slides east over Long Island and Fairfield, Connecticut. Some strong, isolated downpours are possible. The strongest winds are east, possible gusts to 50mph in Suffolk County.

8 p.m. - midnight: The system clears the east end; winds continue to pulse in from the west and the temperatures are dropping. We will be below 40 around 11 p.m. Wind Advisory ends.

Thursday morning: Cold and blustery. The winds stick around all day Thursday, with wind chills making it feel like 30s. Models are indicating gusts of 25-35 mph, with temperatures topping off in the lower 40s. Take a heavy coat Thursday.

ELEMENTS

Wind: Gusts to 50 mph from the South. Wind Advisory over Long Island, Jersey Shore, Connecticut and the SUDS. Staying windy through Thursday, gusts to 35 mph from the W/NW.

Rain: .25 -1". Manageable rainfall, but after the midday downpours some leftover ponding is possible for the evening commute and could slow things down.

Temps: A 20-25 degree temp drop. Forecasting 60 degrees Wednesday afternoon to waking up Thursday at 35 in NYC.