By Andy Rathbun

St. Paul Pioneer Press

Batten down the hatches: A storm is headed this way.

The National Weather Service is forecasting a “strong storm system” to hit the region Wednesday into Thursday. The metro could get more than an inch of rain, and parts of southern Minnesota could get about 2 inches.

Austin’s forecast called for a chance of showers and storms throughout the day Wednesday with three-quarters to an inch of rain during the day and an additional three-quarters of an inch of rain overnight, when winds are expected to increase to 19 to 29 mph with 40 mph gusts.

Along with rain, winds gusting 30 to 50 mph are expected around the state.

Once the rain tapers off Thursday, colder air will move in. Highs are forecast in the upper 50s Tuesday before falling to the low 50s Wednesday and mid-40s on Thursday.

Thursday night, there’s a chance of a rain-and-snow mix, and Friday could bring some in the morning. Any snow won’t stick, however.

Friday’s high is expected to be in the low 40s, rising to the upper 40s Saturday and low 50s Sunday.

The storm comes in the middle of Winter Hazard Awareness Week in Minnesota, and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety is asking that residents prepare for the coming winter weather.

—Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. The Austin Daily Herald contributed to this report.