BREAKING: Hurricane Joaquin Shifts Path; What That Means for Connecticut

By Brian McCready

The National Hurricane Center’s latest forecast should help somewhat calm Connecticut residents’ nerves about Hurricane Joaquin having a direct impact on the state.

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“Good news! 5 p.m. Update — Hurricane center agrees with shift east away from Connecticut — still watching but the threat is diminishing for us,” said WTNH News 8’s Chief Meteorologist Gil Simmons.

NBC Connecticut Meteorologist Darren Sweeney adds, “The trend is East… Which is looking like a more likely scenario to the now Category 4 Hurricane Joaquin… East meaning out to sea! This would mean a much improved weekend forecast. Not a lock yet but trending this way.”

NBC Connecticut Meteorologist Ryan Hanrahan, who was one of the first meteorologists to predict the storm’s eastward track, also said “Continuing to see a shift in our computer models toward an out to sea solution. Confidence is growing in an out to sea solution and much improved weekend weather.”

Related story: Connecticut and Hurricane Joaquin: 5 Things to Know

While the news is definitely welcome, the National Weather Service’s latest forecast still calls for the chance of “tropical conditions” on Monday, Oct. 5, especially near the Connecticut coastline. Rain could fall into Wednesday, but the chance is just 50-percent each day.

But the news is even better for Hartford and Tolland counties, where the beginning of next week now looks dry, according to the National Weather Service.

Weekend forecast

Currently, Friday, Oct. 2 is shaping up to the be the rainiest day. The southern half of the state could see a half inch of rain throughout the day, while northern Connecticut is looking at less than a quarter of an inch of rain.

On Saturday and Sunday, there is a chance of showers both days, but only a 50-percent chance in southern Connecticut and only a 30 percent chance in Hartford and Tolland counties.

As of 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, Joaquin blossomed into a Category 4 hurricane with winds gusting between 130 and 160 mph and it’s located near the Bahamas.

We’ll continue to update this breaking weather story.

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Photo: Accuweather