The National Weather Service in Taunton says winter weather is on the way, beginning late Thursday night.

An average of 5 to 7 inches are likely for the tri-town area, though. Rain is expected to turn to snow with minor accumulation on Thursday. The snow will continue into Friday morning, with coastal areas experiencing heavier, wet snow than areas inland.

The heavy snow will impact travel and could accumulate on trees and power lines, resulting in outages.