Less snow and more rain than expected are headed to the region starting tonight, the National Weather Service in Taunton said today.

The agency has issued a winter weather advisory for 7 tonight to 1 a.m. Friday for parts of Western and Northern Massachusetts, as well as Southern New Hampshire. Framingham and Worcester are among the communities in the zone.

The region now should get two to four inches of snow -- half of the forecast in the winter storm watch the weather service issued Tuesday night.

Rain is expected Thursday, with rain and snow Thursday night.

More snow is possible this weekend