More than 3,000 electric customers in the West Pierrepont-Russell, Colton and Parishville areas are without power at this hour as sometimes heavy rain and strong, gusty winds are in the National Weather Service forecast for St. Lawrence County through Thursday.

National Grid expects to have power restored to those customers by about 5 p.m.

A wind advisory and high wind warnings are in effect for the North Country through tonight.

As cold front moves across the area late Thursday, winds will gust in the 25 to 35 mph range from the west and southwest with gusts over Northern New York in the 35 to 45 mph range, and higher in the southwestern part of St. Lawrence County. Rain will be coming to an end late Thursday with colder and drier conditions returning for Friday.

Gusts are expected to reach nearly 40 mph in the St. Lawrence Valley this afternoon, and as high as 55 mph in the southwest of the county, with as much as a quarter inch of rain accumulation by nightfall, the NWS predicts.

Rain and stiff breezes continue tonight and tomorrow, according to forecasts, and rain accumulations from today through Thursday night could be more than an inch and a half, the NWS predicts.

Temperatures will remain in the mid 50s from this afternoon through tonight, rising only slightly Thursday, forecasters say.

Lows Thursday night are expected to be in the mid to upper 30s, with highs Friday around 45.

The NWS forecast for the St. Lawrence Valley and northwestern Adirondacks:

• This Afternoon: Rain. High near 57. Breezy, with a southeast wind around 22 mph, with gusts as high as 38 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

• Tonight: Occasional rain. Low around 55. Breezy, with a southeast wind 15 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

• Thursday: Rain likely before 8am, then a chance of showers, mainly between 8am and 4pm. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 60. Breezy, with a southwest wind 11 to 16 mph increasing to 18 to 23 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 38 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

• Thursday Night: A chance of showers before 10pm, then a chance of showers after 3am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38. Southwest wind 16 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

• Friday: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 45. West wind 9 to 13 mph.

• Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 31. Southwest wind 3 to 6 mph.

• Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 50. Southwest wind 5 to 9 mph.

• Saturday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40. South wind 5 to 7 mph.

• Sunday: A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 56. South wind 8 to 13 mph.

• Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 44. Southwest wind 7 to 9 mph.

• Monday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 56. Southwest wind 5 to 7 mph.

• Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph after midnight.

• Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 61. Southwest wind around 6 mph.