How Hurricane Ian Could Impact Eastern PA

EASTERN PA — The most ferocious storm of this year's hurricane season is raging for the Florida coast Tuesday, and the impacts of Hurricane Ian could soon be felt in the greater Philadelphia area.

The storm is likely to upgrade to a category 4 storm, according to the National Hurricane Center, as devastating wind damage, life-threatening storm surges, and flash floods are expected. Forecasters agree it’s too early to be certain, but experts at the National Weather Service say heavy rainfall may be possible when the storm system reaches the mid-Atlantic.

"The widespread nature of the impacts to the Northeast, mainly tropical rainfall, will depend heavily on the exact trajectory of Ian through next weekend," AccuWeather meteorlogists said. "There will be a lot of dry air in the region prior to Ian's arrival. It's possible this could minimize the amount of rain the area receives or even steer it west."

See full coverage of Hurricane Ian here.

All of the southern half of Pennsylvania, including the entire Philadelphia metropolitan area, is currently forecasted to at least receive downpours from the storm, according to AccuWeather.

The week is slated to be mostly clear with temperatures in the low- to mid-70s, but the second half of the weekend and start of the following week will be highly dependent on the track of what is currently Hurricane Ian, forecasters said.

AccuWeather meteorologists are currently monitoring the forward speed of Ian after landfall in Florida, which may determine its path in the rest of the U.S.

"Ian will slow down over the Southeast states, but as long as it maintains some forward speed, rainfall will be heavy but not over the top," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said. "However, if Ian stalls over the Southeast for a day or two, there is the potential for much heavier rainfall to fall over a broad area, including interior locations."

As of Tuesday morning, the weekend’s forecast calls for a chance of rain with partly cloudy skies and highs hovering around 70 degrees – but that could all change with Ian’s trajectory as it spins up the eastern seaboard.

“There is the potential for [high pressure] redevelopment offshore which would result in rain and gusty winds by Monday,” the National Weather Service's forecast discussion reads. “However, there is little consensus among the long-term models.”

Here's the latest forecast, per the National Weather Service:

Tuesday

Sunny, with a high near 72. West wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Tuesday night

Mostly clear, with a low around 49. West wind around 5 mph.

Wednesday

Sunny, with a high near 69. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Wednesday night

Mostly clear, with a low around 50. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Thursday

Sunny, with a high near 68. North wind 5 to 10 mph.

Thursday night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 45.

Friday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 68.

Friday night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50.

Saturday

A chance of rain after 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 70. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Saturday night

A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 55. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Sunday

A chance of rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 69. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Sunday night

A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 52. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Monday

A chance of rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 66. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

With reporting from Patch correspondent Nicole Rosenthal