A shift in the track of the looming weekend nor'easter could bring winds that approach hurricane force to the outer Cape Cod and the Islands, according to the latest forecasts on Thursday.
AccuWeather experts warn parts of the Northeast could experience the hurricane force winds beginning Saturday.
"The nor'easter has strengthened over the Atlantic and is expected to stay closer to the shoreline. This will bring more rain inland, but more importantly stronger winds closer to shore," said AccuWeather expert meteorologist Elizabeth Danco. "This region has experienced soaking rains in recent weeks making it particularly susceptible to falling trees and flooding."
Wind gusts of 40 to 60 mph are expected along the coast from New Jersey to Maine starting Friday and into the weekend, with the possibility of max wind gusts reaching 80 mph. Some of the strongest winds are expected from Long Island into southern and eastern New England, including the Boston area, Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.
Fully-leaved trees could also make them more susceptible to damage than a typical winter storm when trees are bare.
Widespread rainfall of 1 to 2 inches is expected from southeastern New York through eastern New England, with 4 to 8 inches possible across portions of southeastern Massachusetts, AccuWeather said.
The National Weather Service issued a High Wind Warning for the Massachusetts and Rhode Island coastlines beginning at 8 a.m. on Friday and lasting until 2 a.m. on Sunday.
The strongest winds are expected ahead of the rain's arrival on Friday through Saturday night. The heaviest rain is expected Saturday and Sunday.
The storm is expected to linger into Monday.
Coastal beach erosion could also be significant because of astronomically high tides — in the noon and midnight range along most of the Bay State coast this weekend.
The NWS also issued a High Surf Advisory and Coastal Flood Watch from Friday through Sunday.
"Numerous roads may be closed," the NWS said. "Low-lying property, including homes, businesses, and some critical infrastructure may be inundates. Dangerous swimming and surfing conditions (will accompany) localized beach erosion."
See Latest Forecast (NWS):
Thursday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 62. East wind around 18 mph.
Thursday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 53. Northeast wind 10 to 13 mph.
Friday
A slight chance of rain after 2 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 66. Windy, with a northeast wind 17 to 26 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Friday Night
A chance of rain, mainly after 9 p.m. Cloudy, with a low around 54. Windy, with a north wind 28 to 31 mph, with gusts as high as 50 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Saturday
Rain. High near 61. Windy, with a north wind 24 to 26 mph, with gusts as high as 50 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Saturday Night
Rain. Low around 56. Breezy, with a northeast wind around 23 mph, with gusts as high as 41 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
Sunday
Rain. High near 62. Breezy, with a northeast wind 20 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 41 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
Sunday Night
Rain before 8 p.m., then showers after 8pm. Low around 56. Breezy, with a northeast wind 17 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Monday
Showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 61. North wind 15 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Monday Night
A chance of showers before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 54. North wind 6 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Tuesday
Partly sunny, with a high near 64. North wind around 6 mph.
Tuesday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 54. Calm wind.
Wednesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 68. Light and variable wind becoming south around 6 mph in the afternoon.
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