Hurricane Ian Remnants On The Way To PA: Latest Forecast

PENNSYLVANIA — Hurricane Ian, the near category-5 storm slamming the southeast this week, is continuing its path toward the Delaware Valley. Downpours and other impacts are possible as early as Friday, with related storms lingering into next week.

Ian has ravaged Florida since making landfall Wednesday, bringing storm surge, torrential rain and 2.6 million power outages to the Sunshine State.

Catch up on the latest on Hurricane Ian's impacts.

The heaviest impacts in the region appear likely to miss the Philadelphia area, as rain will be stronger to the south and the east of the Interstate 95 corridor.

Anywhere from one to four inches of rain could hit the Philly region by Oct. 3, according to AccuWeather. The National Weather Service says 1.5 inches of rain could fall by Sunday.

"Forecasters are not expecting a widespread inland flooding disaster with Ian, but they do caution that residents throughout the region should be mindful of the risk of flash flooding, rising streams and high water covering streets," AccuWeather added.

The storm is forecasted to weaken into a tropical depression by late Friday. It's expected to depart the region fully by Wednesday. However, it's possible it could become a hurricane again if it gains strength after sweeping into the Atlantic.

But the storm remains intense Thursday and will continue to spread flooding rain, coastal impacts and potentially damaging winds with another landfall in the Southeast increasingly likely, according to AccuWeather. Georgia, Virginia and the Carolinas declared states of emergency before Ian's arrival.

Forecasters expect Ian to quickly lose wind intensity into Thursday. But AccuWeather cautions that Ian's center appears more likely to move all the way across the Florida Peninsula and emerge over the Atlantic Ocean on Friday.

If that occurs, Ian may drift off the coast of northeastern Florida before turning back and moving inland. Depending on how long Ian spins over the Atlantic, the storm could regain wind intensity before heading toward Georgia and South Carolina, AccuWeather says. But Ian's impact on New Jersey will depend on the storm's trajectory through the weekend, according to the website.

"There will be a lot of dry air in the region prior to Ian's arrival," says AccuWeather, "and it's possible this could minimize the amount of rain the area receives or even steer Ian off the Mid-Atlantic coast."

Here's the latest forecast for the area, according to the National Weather Service:

Thursday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 71. North wind around 10 mph.

Thursday night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 53. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.

Friday

Partly sunny, with a high near 69. Northeast wind around 10 mph.

Friday night

A chance of showers, mainly after 11pm. Cloudy, with a low around 56. Northeast wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Saturday

Rain and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 62. Northeast wind around 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Saturday night

Rain and possibly a thunderstorm before 11pm, then showers likely, mainly between 11pm and 2am. Patchy fog. Low around 56. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Sunday

A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a high near 66. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Sunday night

A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Monday

A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 63. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Monday night

A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Tuesday
A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 64. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Tuesday night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51.

With reporting from Patch correspondent Josh Bakan