It was merely sprinkling early Thursday night and the winds were mild when they sprang up at all.

Don’t get used to it, weather officials say. It was just a lull before the storm.

Although no major weather issues are expected, forecasters say rain is coming Friday morning and at times, it will come down hard.

As much as two inches might fall by the time it’s over and winds will gust up to 40 mph at times, predicted meteorologist Stacie Haynes of the National Weather Service in Gray.

“You’re definitely going to get some rain,” she said. “It’ll be through rush hour in the morning before it starts to taper off in the afternoon.”

Thursday saw mostly drizzle, but Haynes said it is all part of the same weather pattern vexing the East Coast. The drizzle was phase one, she said. Friday morning wind and rain will mark phase two.

Flood watches were posted in parts of New Hampshire and Western Maine as the remnants of Tropical Storm Nicole, already blamed for at least five deaths in North Carolina, barrelled toward New England.