Up to 10 inches of snow in the interior, but much of Eastern Massachusetts to get a dusting or just rain

By Lauren Dezenski and Martin Finucane, Globe Correspondent

Most of Eastern Massachusetts, including the Boston area, will get a dusting of snow or just chilly rain from a storm arriving in the area early Wednesday, the National Weather Service said.

But in the interior of the state, it could be a different story. Up to 10 inches of snow could fall in northern Central Massachusetts and the eastern slopes of the Berkshires, according to forecasters.

A weather service snowfall forecast map issued this afternoon showed less than an inch of snow, or none at all, from Interstate 495 all the way east to the coast and on the Cape and islands.

But the map showed some areas in the northern parts of Central and Western Massachusetts getting as much as 8 inches. One area could even get 10 inches, the map indicated.

The forecasters warned that the hardest-hit areas would see heavy snow, along with some sleet and potentially freezing rain, affecting both commutes on Wednesday and possibly the Thursday morning commute.

The storm is expected to begin as snow sometime after midnight, but in most areas, it’s expected to change to rain Wednesday morning and midday as temperatures rise.

Precipitation is expected to diminish Wednesday night but showers are expected to continue Thursday throughout the state as temperatures remain in the mid-40s in the eastern part of the state and low 40s in the interior, meteorologist Bill Simpson said. Rain or snow showers are possible Friday morning before partly sunny skies arrive in time for the weekend.